| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 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 of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. |
| 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. | 2(Now the man's name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there. |
| 3Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. | 3Sometime later Naomi's husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. |
| 4The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, | 4So her sons married Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) And they continued to live there about ten years. |
| 5both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. Naomi and Ruth Return | 5Then Naomi's two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. So the woman was left all alone--bereaved of her two children as well as 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. | 6So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the LORD had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops. |
| 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. | 7Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return 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. | 8Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother's home! May the LORD show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands 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 home of a new husband!" Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. |
| 10“No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” | 10But they said to her, "No! We will return 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, "Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might 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? | 12Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive 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.” | 13surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! No, my daughters, you must not return with me. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. For the LORD is afflicting 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. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly 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.” | 15So Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!" |
| 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, "Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become 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!” | 17Wherever you die, I will die--and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!" |
| 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. | 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade 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. | 19So the two of them journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem. Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem When they entered Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival. The women of the village said, "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. | 20But she replied to them, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara' because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. |
| 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 left here full, but the LORD has caused me to return empty-handed. Why do you call me 'Naomi,' seeing that the LORD has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer?" |
| 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 returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) |
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