A Family Tragedy: Famine and Death

1:1 During the time of the judges1 there was a famine in the land of Judah.2 So a man from Bethlehem3 in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner4 in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.51:2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech,6 his wife was Naomi,7 and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.8 They were of the clan of Ephrath9 from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there.101:3 Sometime later11 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. 1:4 So her sons12 married13 Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.)14 And they continued to live there about ten years. 1:5 Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died.15 So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children16 as well as her husband! 1:6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law,17 because while she was living in Moab18 she had heard that the Lord had shown concern19 for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops.20