Read the Bible

Naomi’s Family in Moab

¹ During the time^(F1) of the judges,^(C1) there was a famine in the land.^(C2) A man left Bethlehem^(F2)(C3) in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. ² The man’s name was Elimelech,^(F1) and his wife’s name was Naomi.^(F2) The names of his two sons were Mahlon^(F3) and Chilion.^(F4) They were Ephrathites^(C1) from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. ³ Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

⁶ She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.^{(C1) 7} She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

⁸ Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home.^(C1) May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. ⁹ May the Lord grant each of you rest^(C1) in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

¹⁰ They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.”

¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands?^{(C1) 12} Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, ¹³ would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying?^(F1) No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share,^(F2) because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”^{(C1) 14} Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. ¹⁵ Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods.^(C1) Follow your sister-in-law.”

¹⁶ But Ruth replied:

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.

¹⁹ The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival^(F1)(C1) and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,”^(F1) she answered, “for the Almighty^(C1) has made me very bitter.^{(C2) 21} I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.^(C1) Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed^(F1) me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

²² So Naomi came back from the territory of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.^(C1)