Ruth 1

1Long ago, leaders called judges ruled the land of Israel. There was a famine in the land of Judah. A man named Elimelech lived in the town of Bethlehem in Judah. He, his wife and his 2 sons moved to the country of Moab.

2Elimelech's wife was named Naomi. His 2 sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They were from the Ephrathah family of Bethlehem in Judah. The family traveled to the country of Moab and stayed there.

3Later, Naomi's husband, Elimelech, died. Only Naomi and her 2 sons, Mahlon and Chilion, were left.

4Her sons, Mahlon and Chilion, married women from the country of Moab. One wife's name was Orpah, and the other wife's name was Ruth. They lived in Moab about 10 years.

5Then Mahlon and Chilion also died. Naomi was left alone without her husband, Elimelech, or her 2 sons.

6While Naomi was in the country of Moab, she heard that the LORD had helped His people. Naomi heard how God had given food to His people in Judah. So Naomi decided to leave the country of Moab and go back home. Her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, also decided to go with her.

7Naomi and her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, left the place where they had been living and started traveling back to the land of Judah.

8Then Naomi stopped, and she said to Ruth and Orpah: You must go back to your mothers and to their homes and you must stay there. You have been good to my 2 sons and to me. I pray that God will also be good to you.

9Naomi said: I also pray that God will give each of you another husband and a new home. Naomi kissed them and Ruth and Orpah started to cry.

10Orpah and Ruth said: We want to come with you and go to your family.

11But Naomi said: No, my daughters, go back to your own homes. Why should you go with me? I cannot have any more sons to be your husbands.

12Go back home, my daughters. I am too old to have another husband. Even if I had hope, and married tonight, and had sons,

13Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single for them? No, my daughters. This is very bitter for me, more than for you. The LORD has turned against me.

14Ruth and Orpah cried again. Orpah kissed Naomi and she said goodbye, but Ruth did not want to go away from Naomi, and she held on to her.

15Naomi said to Ruth: Orpah has gone back to her family. She has gone back to her people and her gods in the land of Moab. You must go back with her.

16But Ruth said to Naomi: Do not tell me to leave you. I want to go with you. I want to stay with you. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.

17Ruth said: Where you die, I will die. There I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if anything but death separates you and me.

18Naomi saw that Ruth did not want to go home and she did not ask Ruth to go back again.

19Naomi and Ruth went together to the town of Bethlehem. The whole town was excited when they saw them. The women from the town asked: Is this really Naomi?

20Naomi said to them: My name has changed. My name is not Naomi anymore. My name is now Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very sad and bitter.

21I left here full. The LORD has brought me home empty. Why do you call me Naomi, which means Pleasant? The LORD has spoken against me. The Almighty has brought me trouble.

22So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite, came back from the country of Moab. These 2 women came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.