Ruth 1:8–14

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.r May the Lord show you kindness,s as you have shown kindness to your dead husbandst and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find restu in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissedv them goodbye and they wept aloudw 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

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?x 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—13 would you wait until they grew up?y Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitterz for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!a”

14 At this they weptb aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-lawc goodbye,d but Ruth clung to her.e