Anointing Oil

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Take the following fine spices:^(A) 500 shekels^[a] of liquid myrrh,^(B) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,^(C) 250 shekels^[b] of fragrant calamus,^{(D) 24} 500 shekels^(E) of cassia^(F)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin^[c] of olive oil. ²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.^(G) It will be the sacred anointing oil.^{(H) 26} Then use it to anoint^(I) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, ²⁷ the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, ²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. ²⁹ You shall consecrate them^(J) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.^(K)

¹¹ But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?^{(A) 12} Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— ¹³ would you wait until they grew up?^(B) Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter^(C) for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!^(D)”

¹⁴ At this they wept^(E) aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law^(F) goodbye,^(G) but Ruth clung to her.^(H)

¹⁵ “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law^(I) is going back to her people and her gods.^(J) Go back with her.”

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you^(K) or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go,^(L) and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people^(M) and your God my God.^{(N) 17} Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(O) if even death separates you and me.”^{(P) 18} When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.^(Q)

¹⁹ So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.^(R) When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred^(S) because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,^[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,^[b] because the Almighty^[c](T) has made my life very bitter.^{(U) 21} I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.^(V) Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted^[d] me;^(W) the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”