Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Ruth 1
Famine and Loss
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live for a time in the country of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women. One was named Orpah, and the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi Sets Out for Judah
Then Naomi arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, because she had heard there that the LORD had attended to his people by giving them food. She left the place where she had been living, with her two daughters-in-law, and they set out on the road to return to the land of Judah.
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s house. May the LORD show steadfast love to you, just as you have shown steadfast love to the dead and to me. May the LORD grant each of you rest in the home of a husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted their voices and wept. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb who could become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters. Go, because I am too old to have a husband. Even if I said, ‘I still have hope,’ and even if I had a husband tonight and gave birth to sons, would you wait for them until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” Then they lifted their voices and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Ruth Clings to Naomi
Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you. Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
Naomi Returns Empty
So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women asked, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.