Dual Panel1During <01961> the time <03117> of the judges <08199> there was <01961> a famine <07458> in the land <0776> of Judah. So a man <0376> from Bethlehem <01035> in Judah <03063> went <01980> to live as a resident foreigner <01481> in the region <07704> of Moab <04124>, along with his <01931> wife <0802> and two <08147> sons <01121>.
2(Now the man’s <0376> name <08034> was Elimelech <08034> <0458>, his wife <0802> was Naomi <08034> <05281>, and his two <08147> sons <01121> were Mahlon <04248> and Kilion <03630>. They were of the clan of Ephrath <0673> from Bethlehem <01035> in Judah <03063>.) They entered <0935> the region <07704> of Moab <04124> and settled <01961> there <08033>.
3Sometime later Naomi’s <05281> husband <0376> Elimelech <0458> died <04191>, so she and her two <08147> sons <01121> were left <07604> alone.
4So her sons married <05375> Moabite <04125> women <0802>. (One <0259> was named <08034> Orpah <06204> and the other <08145> Ruth <07327>.) And they continued to live <03427> there <08033> about ten <06235> years <08141>.
5Then Naomi’s two <08147> sons, Mahlon <04248> and Kilion <03630>, also <01571> died <04191>. So the woman <0802> was left all alone– bereaved <07604> of her two <08147> children <03206> as well as her husband <0376>!
6So she <01931> decided <06965> to return <07725> home from the region <07704> of Moab <04124>, accompanied by her daughters-in-law <03618>, because <03588> while she was living in Moab <04124> <07704> she had heard <08085> that <03588> the Lord <03069> had shown concern <06485> for his people <05971>, reversing the famine by providing <05414> abundant crops <03899>.
7Now as she and <05973> her two <08147> daughters-in-law <03618> began to leave <03318> the place <04725> where <08033> <0834> she had been living <01961> to return <07725> to <0413> the land <0776> of Judah <03063>,
8Naomi <05281> said <0559> to her two <08147> daughters-in-law <03618>, “Listen to me! Each <0802> of you should return <07725> <01980> to your mother’s <0517> home <01004>! May the Lord <03068> show <06213> you the same kind of devotion <02617> that <0834> you have shown <06213> to <05973> your deceased husbands <04191> and to <05973> me!
9May the Lord <03068> enable <05414> each of you to find <04672> security <04496> in the home <01004> of a new husband <0376>!” Then she kissed <05401> them goodbye and they wept <01058> loudly <06963> <05375>.
10But they said <0559> to her, “No! We will return <07725> with <0854> you to your people <05971>.”
11But Naomi <05281> replied <0559>, “Go back <07725> home, my daughters <01323>! There is no reason <04100> for you to return <01980> to Judah with <05973> me! I am no longer <05750> capable of giving birth <04578> to sons <01121> who might become <01961> your husbands <0376>!
12Go <01980> back home <07725>, my daughters <01323>! For <03588> I am <02204> too old <02204> to get <01961> married <0376> again. Even if <03588> I thought <0559> that there was <03426> hope <08615> that I could get <01961> married <0376> tonight <03915> and <01571> conceive <03205> sons <01121>,
13surely <03860> you would not want to wait <07663> until <05704> they were old enough <01431> to marry! Surely <03860> you would not <01115> remain <05702> unmarried <0408> <0376> <01961> all that time! No, my daughters <01323>, you must not return with me. For <03588> my intense suffering <04843> is too much <03966> for you to bear <03318>. For <03588> the Lord <03068> is afflicting <03027> me!”
14Again <05750> they wept <01058> loudly <06963>. Then Orpah <06204> kissed <05401> her mother-in-law <02545> goodbye, but Ruth <07327> clung <01692> tightly to her.
15So Naomi said <0559>, “Look <02009>, your sister-in-law <02994> is returning <07725> to <0413> her people <05971> and to <0413> her god <0430>. Follow <0310> your sister-in-law <02994> back home <07725>!”
16But Ruth <07327> replied <0559>, “Stop <0408> urging <06293> me to abandon <0310> <07725> <05800> you! For <03588> wherever <0834> you go <01980>, I will go <01980>. Wherever <0834> you live <03885>, I will live <03885>. Your people <05971> will become my people <05971>, and your God <0430> will become my God <0430>.
17Wherever <0834> you die <04191>, I will die <04191>– and there <08033> I will be buried <06912>. May the Lord <03068> punish <06213> me severely <06213> if <03588> I do not keep my promise! Only death <04194> will be able to separate <06504> me from you!”
18When Naomi realized <07200> that <03588> Ruth <01931> was determined <0553> to go <01980> with <0854> her, she stopped <02308> trying to dissuade <01696> her.
19So the two <08147> of them journeyed <01980> together until <05704> they arrived <0935> in Bethlehem <01035>. When <01961> they entered <0935> Bethlehem <01035>, the whole <03605> village <05892> was excited <01949> about <05921> their arrival. The women of the village said <0559>, “Can this <02063> be Naomi <05281>?”
20But she replied <0559> to <0413> them, “Don’t <0408> call <07121> me ‘Naomi <05281>’! Call <07121> me ‘Mara <04755>’ because <03588> the Sovereign One <07706> has treated <04843> me very <03966> harshly <04843>.
21I <0589> left <01980> here full <04390>, but the Lord <03068> has caused me to return <07725> empty-handed <07387>. Why <04100> do you call <07121> me ‘Naomi <05281>,’ seeing that the Lord <03068> has opposed <06030> me, and the Sovereign One <07706> has caused <07489> me to suffer?”
22So Naomi <05281> returned <07725>, accompanied by her Moabite <04125> daughter-in-law <03618> Ruth <07327>, who came back <07725> with <05973> her from the region <07704> of Moab <04124>. (Now they <01992> arrived <0935> in Bethlehem <01035> at the beginning <08462> of the barley <08184> harvest <07105>.)