Ruth, 1

1. In the days when the Judges were governing, a famine occurred in the country and a certain man from Bethlehem of Judah went-he, his wife and his two sons -- to live in the Plains of Moab.

1. In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

2. The man was called Elimelech, his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. Going to the Plains of Moab, they settled there.

2. The name of the man was Elim'elech and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chil'ion; they were Eph'rathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

3. Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she and her two sons were left.

3. But Elim'elech, the husband of Na'omi, died, and she was left with her two sons.

4. These married Moabite women: one was called Orpah and the other Ruth. They lived there for about ten years.

4. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years;

5. Mahlon and Chilion then both died too, and Naomi was thus bereft of her two sons and her husband.

5. and both Mahlon and Chil'ion died, so that the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband.

6. She then decided to come back from the Plains of Moab with her daughters-in-law, having heard in the Plains of Moab that God had visited his people and given them food.

6. Then she started with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.

7. So, with her daughters-in-law, she left the place where she was living and they took the road back to Judah.

7. So she set out from the place where she was, with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

8. Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go back, each of you to your mother's house.

8. But Na'omi 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.

9. May Yahweh show you faithful love, as you have done to those who have died and to me. Yahweh grant that you may each find happiness with a husband!' She then kissed them, but they began weeping loudly,

9. The LORD grant that you may find a home, each of you in the house of her husband!" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

10. and said, 'No, we shall go back with you to your people.'

10. And they said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people."

11. 'Go home, daughters,' Naomi replied. 'Why come with me? Have I any more sons in my womb to make husbands for you?

11. But Na'omi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?

12. Go home, daughters, go, for I am now too old to marry again. Even if I said, "I still have a hope: I shall take a husband this very night and shall bear more sons,"

12. Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons,

13. would you be prepared to wait for them until they were grown up? Would you refuse to marry for their sake? No, daughters, I am bitterly sorry for your sakes that the hand of Yahweh should have been raised against me.'

13. would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me."

14. They started weeping loudly all over again; Orpah then kissed her mother-in-law and went back to her people. But Ruth stayed with her.

14. Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15. Naomi then said, 'Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Go home, too; follow your sister-in-law.'

15. And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."

16. But Ruth said, 'Do not press me to leave you and to stop going with you, for wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

16. But Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you or to return 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;

17. Where you die, I shall die and there I shall be buried. Let Yahweh bring unnameable ills on me and worse ills, too, if anything but death should part me from you!'

17. where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you."

18. Seeing that Ruth was determined to go with her, Naomi said no more.

18. And when Na'omi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

19. The two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival set the whole town astir, and the women said, 'Can this be Naomi?'

19. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, "Is this Na'omi?"

20. To this she replied, 'Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for Shaddai has made my lot bitter.

20. She said to them, "Do not call me Na'omi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

21. I departed full, and Yahweh has brought me home empty. Why, then, call me Naomi, since Yahweh has pronounced against me and Shaddai has made me wretched?'

21. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Na'omi, when the LORD has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"

22. This was how Naomi came home with her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, on returning from the Plains of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

22. So Na'omi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.