Ruth 1Book 8 of 66 · 22 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
  2. The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion — Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the country of Moab and settled there.
  3. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
  4. Her sons took Moabite women as their wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.
  5. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
  6. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.
  7. So she set out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
  8. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to the dead and to me.
  9. May the LORD grant that you each find rest in the house of a husband." So she kissed them, and they wept loudly.
  10. And they said to her, "No, we insist on returning with you to your people."
  11. But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters; why will you go with me? Am I able to have any more sons in my womb who could become your husbands?
  12. Return, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was still hope, and I were to have a husband tonight and also bear sons,
  13. would you wait for them until they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"
  14. Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung tightly to her.
  15. And Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; follow after your sister-in-law."
  16. But Ruth said, "Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
  17. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if anything but death parts you and me."
  18. When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
  19. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, "Can this be Naomi?"
  20. But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.
  21. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
  22. So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.