| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while. | 1Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. |
| 2The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife's name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the land of Moab and settled there. | 2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. |
| 3Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. | 3Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. |
| 4Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about 10 years, | 4They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. |
| 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband. | 5Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. |
| 6She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the LORD had paid attention to His people's need by providing them food. | 6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. |
| 7She 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. | 7So she departed 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. |
| 8She said to them, "Each of you go back to your mother's home. May the LORD show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. | 8And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. |
| 9May the LORD enable each of you to find security in the house of your new husband." She kissed them, and they wept loudly." | 9"May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. |
| 10No," they said to her. "We will go with you to your people." | 10And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." |
| 11But 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? | 11But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? |
| 12Return 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, | 12"Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, |
| 13would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the LORD's hand has turned against me." | 13would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me." |
| 14Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. | 14And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. |
| 15Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law." | 15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law." |
| 16But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. | 16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. |
| 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. | 17"Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." |
| 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her. | 18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. |
| 19The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and the local women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"" | 19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" |
| 20Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," she answered, "for the Almighty has made me very bitter. | 20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. |
| 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced judgment on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" | 21"I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" |
| 22So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. | 22So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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