RHE 1 In the days of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. NIV 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. RHE 2 He was named Elimelech, and his wife Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there. NIV 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. RHE 3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons. NIV 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. RHE 4 And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt their ten years, NIV 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, RHE 5 And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband. NIV 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. RHE 6 And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country, with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food. NIV 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. RHE 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda, NIV 7 With 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. RHE 8 She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers, the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. NIV 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. RHE 9 May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands whom you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep, NIV 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud RHE 10 And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people. NIV 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” RHE 11 But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come ye with me? have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me? NIV 11 But 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? RHE 12 Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children, NIV 12 Return 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— RHE 13 If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man’s estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. NIV 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!” RHE 14 And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother in law, and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law. NIV 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. RHE 15 And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her. NIV 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” RHE 16 She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. NIV 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. RHE 17 The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee. NIV 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” RHE 18 Then Noemi seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends: NIV 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. RHE 19 So they went together, and came to Bethlehem. And when they were come into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said: This is that Noemi. NIV 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” RHE 20 But she said to them: Call me not Noemi (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara (that is, bitter), for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness. NIV 20 “Don’t call me Naomi, ” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. RHE 21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled, and the Almighty hath afflicted? NIV 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” RHE 22 So Noemi came with Ruth, the Moabitess, her daughter in law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest. NIV 22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
NIV 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. NIV 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. NIV 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. NIV 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, NIV 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. NIV 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. NIV 7 With 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. NIV 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. NIV 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud NIV 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” NIV 11 But 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? NIV 12 Return 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— NIV 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!” NIV 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. NIV 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” NIV 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. NIV 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” NIV 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. NIV 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” NIV 20 “Don’t call me Naomi, ” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. NIV 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” NIV 22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.