Ruth 1 - English Standard Version (ESV)

Naomi Widowed

1 In the days (A)when the judges ruled there was (B)a famine in the land, and a man of (C)Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country 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 (D)Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained 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.

Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that (E)the Lord had visited his people and (F)given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord (G)deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with (H)the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find (I)rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb (J)that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn 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 wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that (K)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices 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 people and to (L)her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. (M)Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. (N)May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 (O)And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Naomi and Ruth Return

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, (P)the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me (Q)Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 (R)I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem (S)at the beginning of barley harvest.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant
  2. Ruth 1:20 Mara means bitter

Cross references

  1. Ruth 1:1 : Judg. 2:16
  2. Ruth 1:1 : Gen. 12:10; 26:1; 43:1; 2 Kgs. 8:1
  3. Ruth 1:1 : See Judg. 17:7
  4. Ruth 1:2 : Gen. 35:19
  5. Ruth 1:6 : Ex. 3:16; 4:31; Luke 1:68
  6. Ruth 1:6 : Ps. 132:15
  7. Ruth 1:8 : Josh. 2:12, 14; Judg. 1:24
  8. Ruth 1:8 : ver. 5; ch. 2:20
  9. Ruth 1:9 : ch. 3:1
  10. Ruth 1:11 : Gen. 38:11; Deut. 25:5
  11. Ruth 1:13 : Judg. 2:15; [Job 19:21; Ps. 32:4; 38:2; 39:10]
  12. Ruth 1:15 : Judg. 11:24; 1 Kgs. 11:7; Jer. 48:7, 13, 46
  13. Ruth 1:16 : [ch. 2:11, 12]
  14. Ruth 1:17 : 1 Sam. 3:17; 25:22; 2 Sam. 19:13; 1 Kgs. 2:23
  15. Ruth 1:18 : [Acts 21:14]
  16. Ruth 1:19 : [Matt. 21:10]
  17. Ruth 1:20 : Ex. 15:23
  18. Ruth 1:21 : Job 1:21
  19. Ruth 1:22 : 2 Sam. 21:9; [ch. 2:23]

You Might Also Like:

Ruth 1 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And 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. 2 And the name of the man [is] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the n...
Read More

Ruth 1 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

1 In the days of one judge, when judges were sovereigns in Israel, hunger was made in the land; and a man of Bethlehem of Judah went to be a pilgrim in the country of Moab, with his wife and [his] two free sons. (In the days of the judges, when they were the rulers in Israel, there was hunger in the...
Read More

Ruth 1 - World English Bible (WEB)

1 In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathi...
Read More

Ruth 1 - The Voice (VOICE)

1 A long time ago, when judges still ruled over Israel and the land was dried up with famine, a man from Bethlehem, which ironically means “place of bread,” left his home in Judah to live as a foreigner in the land of Moab. He traveled with his wife and their two sons. 2 His name was Elimelech, and...
Read More

Ruth 1 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Elimelech’s Family in Moab1 It came to pass in the days when judges were governing, there was a famine in the land. A man went from the town of Bethlehem[a] in Judah to dwell in the region of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two...
Read More

Ruth 1 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elim′elech and the name of his wife Na′omi, and the names of...
Read More

Ruth 1 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elim′elech and the name of his wife Na′omi, and the names of...
Read More

Ruth 1 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

1 Now it came to pass in the yamim when HaShofetim (the Judges) ruled, that there was a ra’av (famine) in the land. And a certain ish (man) of Beit-Lechem Yehudah went to sojourn in the sadei Moav, he, and his isha (wife), and his two banim (sons). 2 And the shem (name) of the ish (man) was Elimelec...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.(A)2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his tw...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. ...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New Life Version (NLV)

Elimelech’s Family Moves to Moab1 In the days when there were judges to rule, there was a time of no food in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to visit the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi. And the names of ...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab1 Now it came to pass, in the days when (A)the judges [a]ruled, that there was (B)a famine in the land. And a certain man of (C)Bethlehem, Judah, went to [b]dwell in the country of (D)Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the nam...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Naomi loses her husband and sons1 In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of ...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New International Version (NIV)

Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons1 In the days when the judges ruled,[a](A) there was a famine in the land.(B) So a man from Bethlehem in Judah,(C) together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while(D) in the country of Moab.(E) 2 The man’s name was Elimelek,(F) his wife’s name was Naomi, ...
Read More

Ruth 1 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons1 There was a time when Israel didn’t have kings to rule over them. But they had leaders to help them. This is a story about some things that happened during that time. There wasn’t enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live for a while in the country of ...
Read More