Ruth

Head 1

1. In the days when the deemers oversaw, there was a hunger in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to stay in the kith of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the kith of Moab and stayed there. 3. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5. and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to come back from the kith of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had besought his folk and given them food. 7. So she set out from the stead where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to come back to the land of Judah. 8. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, come back each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9.  The LORD bestow that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their pipes and wept. 10. And they said to her, "No, we will come back with you to your folk." 11. But Naomi said, "Wend back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12.  Wend back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13.  would you therefore bide till they were grown? Would you therefore forbear from wedding? No, my daughters, for it is overly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me." 14. Then they lifted up their pipes and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15. And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her folk and to her gods; come back after your sister-in-law." 16. But Ruth said, "Do not bid me to leave you or to come back from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you dwell I will dwell. Your folk shall be my folk, and your God my God. 17.  Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death splits me from you." 18. And when Naomi saw that she was steadfast to go with her, she said no more. 19. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred owing to them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 20. She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt highly bitterly with me. 21.  I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has brought reck upon me?" 22. So Naomi came back, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who came back from the kith of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.