I. * Now it came to pass in the days when athe judges * ruled, that there was ba famine in the land. And a certain man of cBeth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, dEphrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came einto the country of Moab, and * continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had fvisited his people in ggiving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord hdeal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with ithe dead, and with me. 9 The Lord grant you that you may find krest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lift up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will you go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, lthat they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, * if I should have a husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 would ye * tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for * it grieveth me much for your sakes that mthe hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 And they lift up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: nreturn thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, * Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: othy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: pthe Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 qWhen she saw that she * was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that rall the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not * Naomi, call me * Mara: for sthe Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, tand the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem uin the beginning of barley harvest.