| International Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now there came a time of famine while judges were ruling in the land of Israel. A man from Bethlehem of Judah, his wife, and his two sons left to live in the country of Moab. | 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, his wife's name was Naomi, and their two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They journeyed to the country of Moab and lived there for some time. | 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. |
| 3Then Naomi'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. |
| 4Each of her sons married Moabite women: one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. After they lived there about ten 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 died, leaving Naomi alone with neither her husband nor her two sons. | 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 return from the country of Moab, because she had heard while living there how the LORD had come to the aid of his people, giving them relief. | 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. |
| 7So she left the place where she had been, along with her two daughters-in-law, and they traveled along the return road 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. |
| 8But along the way, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Each of you go back home. Return to your mother's house. May the LORD show his gracious love to you, as you have shown me and our loved ones who have died. | 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 grant each of you security in your new husbands' households." Then she kissed them good-bye, and they cried 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. |
| 10They both replied to her, "No! We'll go back with you to your people." | 10And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." |
| 11But Naomi responded, "Go back, my daughters. Why go with me? Are there still sons to be born to me as future husbands for you? | 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? |
| 12So go on back, my daughters! Be on your way! I'm too old to remarry. If I were to say that I'm hoping for a husband tonight and then also bore sons this very night, | 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 wait for them until they were grown? Would you refrain from marriage for them? No, my daughters! I'm more deeply grieved than you, because the LORD is working 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." |
| 14They began to cry loudly again. So Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth remained with her. | 14And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. |
| 15Naomi told Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. 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 answered, "Stop urging me to abandon you and to turn back from following you. Because wherever you go, I'll go. Wherever you live, I'll live. Your people will be my people, and your God, 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'll die and be buried. May the LORD do this to me—and more—if anything except death comes between 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 observed Ruth's determination to travel with her, she ended the conversation. | 18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. |
| 19So they continued on until they reached Bethlehem. Now when the two of them arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town got excited at the news of their arrival and they asked one another, "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?" |
| 20But Naomi replied, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara'! That's because the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. | 20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. |
| 21I left here full, but the LORD brought me back empty. So why call me 'Naomi'? After all, the LORD is against me, and the Almighty has broken 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 returned to Bethlehem from the country of Moab, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabite woman. And 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. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | 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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