Naomi Widowed

(1 Timothy 5:3-16)

1And it cometh to pass, in the days of the judging of the judges, that there is a famine in the land, and there goeth a man from Beth-Lehem-Judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2And the name of the man [is] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from Beth-Lehem-Judah; and they come into the fields of Moab, and are there. 3And Elimelech husband of Naomi dieth, and she is left, she and her two sons; 4and they take to them wives, Moabitesses: the name of the one [is] Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth; and they dwell there about ten years. 5And they die also, both of them — Mahlon and Chilion — and the woman is left of her two children and of her husband.

Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi

6And she riseth, she and her daughters-in-law, and turneth back from the fields of Moab, for she hath heard in the fields of Moab that God hath looked after His people, — to give to them bread. 7And she goeth out from the place where she hath been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they go in the way to turn back unto the land of Judah. 8And Naomi saith to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, turn back, each to the house of her mother; Jehovah doth with you kindness as ye have done with the dead, and with me; 9Jehovah doth grant to you, and find ye rest each in the house of her husband;’ and she kisseth them, and they lift up their voice and weep. 10And they say to her, ‘Surely with thee we go back to thy people.’ 11And Naomi saith, ‘Turn back, my daughters; why do ye go with me? are there yet to me sons in my bowels that they have been to you for husbands? 12Turn back, my daughters, go, for I am too aged to be to a husband; though I had said, There is for me hope, also, I have been to-night to a husband, and also I have borne sons: 13for them do ye wait till that they grow up? for them do ye shut yourselves up, not to be to a husband? nay, my daughters, for more bitter to me than to you, for the hand of Jehovah hath gone out against me.’

14And they lift up their voice, and weep again, and Orpah kisseth her mother-in-law, and Ruth hath cleaved to her.

15And she saith, ‘Lo, thy sister-in-law hath turned back unto her people, and unto her god, turn thou back after thy sister-in-law.’ 16And Ruth saith, ‘Urge me not to leave thee — to turn back from after thee; for whither thou goest I go, and where thou lodgest I lodge; thy people [is] my people, and thy God my God. 17Where thou diest I die, and there I am buried; thus doth Jehovah to me, and thus doth He add — for death itself doth part between me and thee.’ 18And she seeth that she is strengthening herself to go with her, and she ceaseth to speak unto her;

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

19and they go both of them till their coming in to Beth-Lehem; and it cometh to pass at their coming in to Beth-Lehem, that all the city is moved at them, and they say, ‘Is this Naomi?’ 20And she saith unto them, ‘Call me not Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly to me, 21I went out full, and empty hath Jehovah brought me back, why do ye call me Naomi, and Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath done evil to me?’

22And Naomi turneth back, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who hath turned back from the fields of Moab, and they have come in to Beth-Lehem at the commencement of barley-harvest.