8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, i“Go, return each to her mother’s house. jThe Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt kwith the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find lrest, each in the house of her husband.”

So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, mthat they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that nthe hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth oclung to her.

15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to pher people and to her gods; qreturn after your sister-in-law.”

16 But Ruth said:

r“Entreat 5me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

sYour people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

17 Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

tThe Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.”

18 uWhen she saw that she 6was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that vall the city was excited because of them; and the women said, w“Is this Naomi?”

20 But she said to them, “Do not call me 7Naomi; call me 8Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, xand the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and 9the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem yat the beginning of barley harvest.