Ruth 1:15–22

¹⁵Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.” 

¹⁶But Ruth answered, “Don’t force me to leave you. Don’t make me turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷Wherever you die, I will die, and I will be buried there with you. May the Lord strike me down if anything but death separates you and me!” 

¹⁸When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ended the conversation. 

Naomi Arrives in Bethlehem

¹⁹So both of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about them. “This can’t be Naomi, can it?” the women asked. 

²⁰She answered them, “Don’t call me Naomi ^[Sweet^[. Call me Mara ^[Bitter^[ because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. ²¹I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi when the Lord has tormented me and the Almighty has done evil to me?” 

²²When Naomi came back from the country of Moab, Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, came along with her. They happened to enter Bethlehem just when the barley harvest began.