1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the ^[a]country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. ² And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife ^[b]Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. ³ And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. ⁴ And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. ⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

⁶ Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread. ⁷ And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. ⁸ And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. ⁹ Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. ¹⁰ And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. ¹¹ And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? ¹² Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; ¹³ would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it ^[c]grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. ¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. ¹⁶ And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; ¹⁷ where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. ¹⁸ And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

¹⁹ So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and the women said, Is this Naomi? ²⁰ And she said unto them, Call me not ^[d]Naomi, call me ^[e]Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. ²¹ I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? ²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.