1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.
1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 The mans name was Elimelech, his wifes name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 Now Elimelech, Naomis husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
3 And Elimelech, Naomis husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.
6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mothers home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mothers house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud
9 Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."
10 And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me--even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons--
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons;
13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORDS hand has gone out against me!"
13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me.
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law.
16 But Ruth replied, "Dont urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.
16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.
18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
18 And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"
19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and (the women) said, Is this Naomi?
20 "Dont call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
21 I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.