Naomi and Ruth Return

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, (A)the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me (B)Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 (C)I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem (D)at the beginning of barley harvest.

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant
  2. Ruth 1:20 Mara means bitter

19 The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival[a](A) and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,”[b] she answered,[c] “for the Almighty(B) has made me very bitter.(C) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(D) Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has pronounced judgment on[d] me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:19 Lit excited because of them
  2. Ruth 1:20 = Bitter
  3. Ruth 1:20 Lit answered them
  4. Ruth 1:21 LXX, Syr, Vg read has humiliated