Ruth 1

New International Version

Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons

1 In the days when the judges ruled,^[a]^(A) there was a famine in the land.^(B) So a man from Bethlehem in Judah,^(C) together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while^(D) in the country of Moab.^(E) ²The man’s name was Elimelek,^(F) his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.^(G) They were Ephrathites^(H) from Bethlehem,^(I) Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

³Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴They married Moabite women,^(J) one named Orpah and the other Ruth.^(K) After they had lived there about ten years, ⁵both Mahlon and Kilion^(L) also died,^(M) and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

⁶When Naomi heard in Moab^(N) that the Lord had come to the aid of his people^(O) by providing food^(P) for them, she and her daughters-in-law^(Q) prepared to return home from there. ⁷With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

⁸Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.^(R) May the Lord show you kindness,^(S) as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands^(T) and to me. ⁹May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest^(U) in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed^(V) them goodbye and they wept aloud^(W) ¹⁰and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

¹¹But 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?^(X) ¹²Return 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— ¹³would you wait until they grew up?^(Y) Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter^(Z) for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!^(AA)”

¹⁴At this they wept^(AB) aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law^(AC) goodbye,^(AD) but Ruth clung to her.^(AE)

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

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

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

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

²²So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite,^(AU) her daughter-in-law,^(AV) arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest^(AW) was beginning.^(AX)

Footnotes

Ruth 1:1 Traditionally judged
Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
Ruth 1:20 Mara means bitter.
Ruth 1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21
Ruth 1:21 Or has testified against

Proverbs 24:1-22

New International Version

Saying 20

24 Do not envy^(A) the wicked,
do not desire their company;
²for their hearts plot violence,^(B)
and their lips talk about making trouble.^(C)

Saying 21

³By wisdom a house is built,^(D)
and through understanding it is established;
⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.^(E)

Saying 22

⁵The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
⁶Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.^(F)

Saying 23

⁷Wisdom is too high for fools;
in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

Saying 24

⁸Whoever plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
⁹The schemes of folly are sin,
and people detest a mocker.

Saying 25

¹⁰If you falter in a time of trouble,
    how small is your strength!^(G)
¹¹Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.^(H)
¹²If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs^(I) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay^(J) everyone according to what they have done?^(K)

Saying 26

¹³Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
    honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
¹⁴Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
    If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.^(L)

Saying 27

¹⁵Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
do not plunder their dwelling place;
¹⁶for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.^(M)

Saying 28

¹⁷Do not gloat^(N) when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,^(O)
¹⁸or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.^(P)

Saying 29

¹⁹Do not fret^(Q) because of evildoers
or be envious of the wicked,
²⁰for the evildoer has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.^(R)

Saying 30

²¹Fear the Lord and the king,^(S) my son,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
²²for those two will send sudden destruction^(T) on them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?