| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 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 stay in the territory of Moab for a while. |
| 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. | 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 fields of Moab and settled there. |
| 3Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. | 3Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. |
| 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. | 4Her 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, |
| 5Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. | 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband. |
| 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. | 6She 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 8Naomi said to them, "Each of you go back to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. |
| 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. | 9May the LORD grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband." She kissed them, and they wept loudly. |
| 10And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." | 10They said to her, "We insist on returning with you to your people." |
| 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? | 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? |
| 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, | 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, |
| 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." | 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." |
| 14And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. | 14Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. |
| 15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law." | 15Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law." |
| 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. | 16But Ruth replied: Don't plead with me to abandon you or to return 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. |
| 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." | 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. |
| 18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. | 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her. |
| 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?" | 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?" |
| 20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. | 20"Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," she answered, "for the Almighty has made me very bitter. |
| 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?" | 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" |
| 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. | 22So 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. |
| 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 | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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