Ruth 1
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1In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him.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.
2The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled 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 land of Moab and settled there.
3Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons.3Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons.
4The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later,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,
5both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. Naomi and Ruth Return5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband.
6Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.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.
7With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to 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.
8But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.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.
9May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.9May the LORD enable each of you to find security in the house of your new husband." She kissed them, and they wept loudly."
10“No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”10No," they said to her. "We will go with you to your people."
11But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to 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?
12No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what?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 wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist 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 again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.14Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15“Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”15Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law."
16But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.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.
17Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”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.
18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
19So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.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?""
20“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.20Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," she answered, "for the Almighty has made me very bitter.
21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon 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?"
22So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.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.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Judges 21
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