1And it was in the days of the Judges, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bayth Lekhem of Yehuda went on to dwell in the land of Moab, he and his wife and his children, because the famine was severe in the land 2And the name of the man, Alimalek, and the name of his wife, Namei, and the names of his sons, Malyoon and Kelyoon, Ephrathites from Bayth Lekhem of Yehuda, and they came to the land of Moab to dwell there 3And Alimalek the husband of Namei died, and she was left, she and both her sons 4And they took to themselves wives, Moabites; the name of one, Arpha and the name of the other, Ruth, and they dwelt there about ten years 5And both her sons, Malyun and Kelyoon, died, and the woman was bereft of her husband and of both her sons

6And she and two her daughters in law returned with her from the land of Moab, because they heard in the land of Moab that LORD JEHOVAH visited his people to give to them food 7And they went out from the land of their habitation, she and her two daughters in law with her, to return and to go to the land of Yehuda 8And Namei said to her daughters in law: “Return, go to your place and to the house of your people, and LORD JEHOVAH will perform with you mercy as you have done with me and with both my sons who have died 9And LORD JEHOVAH will give you favor and you will find rest in the house of your fathers.” And she kissed them and they lifted up their voice and they wept 10And they said to her: “No, but we will go with you to your land and to your people!” 11And Namei said to them: “Return my daughters. Why go with me again? Shall I have sons and give them to you? 12Return, my daughters, because I am too old to have a husband, that I would say, ‘I will have hope again”, and a man would have me and I would bear sons 13And will you wait for them until they are grown, and will you be prohibited from being married to a man? No, my daughters, because I myself have been very bitter for you, and for me it is more bitter than for you, because the hand of LORD JEHOVAH has gone out after me!”

14And they lifted up their voices again and they wept, and Arpha kissed her mother in law, and she returned and went, but Ruth clung to her

15And her mother in law said to her: “Behold, your sister in law returned to her people and to the house of her people. Return you also after your sister in law” 16And Ruth said to her: “God forbid me that I would turn from your presence and forsake you, for to the place where you will go, I shall go, and wherever you will dwell, I shall dwell. Your people is my people, and your God, my God 17And the place where you will die, I shall die also, and I shall be buried. Thus shall God do to me and thus he will add to me, unless death alone will ever separate me and you!” 18But when Namei saw that truly she was determined to go with her, she ceased from telling her to go

19And they came as one unto Bayth Lekhem of Yehuda, and it happened that when they came to Bayth Lekhem, all the city was gladdened by them, and they were saying: “It is Namei!” 20And she said to them: “You should not call me Namei, but call me ‘Marirath Naphsha’ Bitter of Soul, because The Almighty has made me very bitter!” 21For I went from here full and LORD JEHOVAH has returned me empty, and why therefore do you call you me Namei, for LORD JEHOVAH has humbled me, and from what opportunity he has had, he has afflicted me!”

22And Namei returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law with her, who was determined to return with her with her whole heart, and they came from the land of Moab on the first of the barley harvest