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19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them,

“Call me no longer Naomi;[a]
    call me Mara,[b]
    for the Almighty[c] has dealt bitterly with me.(A)
21 I went away full,
    but the Lord has brought me back empty;
why call me Naomi
    when the Lord has dealt harshly with[d] me
    and the Almighty[e] has brought calamity upon me?”(B)

22 So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.20 That is, pleasant
  2. 1.20 That is, bitter
  3. 1.20 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  4. 1.21 Or has testified against
  5. 1.21 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai

19 Then the two of them traveled until they arrived at Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town became excited over them. The women said, “Is this Naomi?”

20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara,[a] because the Almighty has made me very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord brought me back empty. Why should you call me Naomi? For the Lord has testified against me,[b] and the Almighty has treated me badly.”

22 So Naomi returned with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the territory of Moab. When they entered Bethlehem, it was the beginning of the barley harvest.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant; Mara means bitter.
  2. Ruth 1:21 Or has afflicted me
  3. Ruth 1:22 March or April