Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that (A)the Lord had visited his people and (B)given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord (C)deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with (D)the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find (E)rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb (F)that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that (G)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

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Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need by providing them food.(A) She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

She said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home.(B) May the Lord show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. May the Lord enable each of you to find security(C) in the house of your new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

10 “No,” they said to her. “We will go with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons[a] who could become your husbands?(D) 12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, 13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying?[b] No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share,[c] because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”(E) 14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:11 Lit More to me sons in my womb
  2. Ruth 1:13 Lit marrying a man
  3. Ruth 1:13 Lit daughters, for more bitter to me than you