11 Now it came about in the days when the judges [1]governed , that there was a famine in the land . And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab [2]with his wife and his two sons . 2 The name of the man was Elimelech , and the name of his wife , Naomi ; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion , Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah . Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there . 3 Then Elimelech , Naomi's husband , died ; and she was left with her two sons . 4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives ; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth . And they lived there about ten years . 5 Then [3]both Mahlon and Chilion also died , and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband .
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab , for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food . 7 So she departed from the place where e she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah . 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law , "Go , return each of you to her mother's house . May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 "May the Lord grant that you may find rest , each 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, but we will surely return with you to your people ." 11 But Naomi said , "Return , my daughters . Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb , that they may be your husbands ? 12 "Return , my daughters ! Go , for I am too old to have a husband . If I said I have hope , if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons , 13 would you therefore wait until e they were grown ? Would you therefore refrain from marrying e e ? No , my daughters ; for it is [4]harder e for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me." 14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again ; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law , but Ruth clung to her. 15 Then she said , "Behold , your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods ; return after your sister-in-law ." 16 But Ruth said , "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where e you go , I will go , and where you lodge , I will lodge . Your people shall be my people , and your God , my God . 17 "Where you die , I will die , and there I will be buried . Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse e , if anything but death parts you and me." 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she [5]said no more to her.
19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem . And when they had come to Bethlehem , all the city was stirred because of them, and [6]the women said , "Is this Naomi ?" 20 She said to them, "Do not call me [7]Naomi ; call me [8]Mara , for [9] the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 "I went out full , but the Lord has brought me back empty . Why do you call me Naomi , since the Lord has witnessed against me and [10]the Almighty has afflicted me?" 22 So Naomi returned , and with her Ruth the Moabitess , her daughter-in-law , who returned from the land of Moab . And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest .
