Ruth 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In the days when the Judges were governing, a famine occurred in the country and a certain man fromBethlehem of Judah went-he, his wife and his two sons -- to live in the Plains of Moab.	1 Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab.
2 The man was called Elimelech, his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion; they wereEphrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. Going to the Plains of Moab, they settled there.	2 The man was named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his sons Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. Some time after their arrival on the Moabite plateau,
3 Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she and her two sons were left.	3 Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons,
4 These married Moabite women: one was called Orpah and the other Ruth. They lived there for aboutten years.	4 who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years,
5 Mahlon and Chilion then both died too, and Naomi was thus bereft of her two sons and her husband.	5 both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
6 She then decided to come back from the Plains of Moab with her daughters-in-law, having heard in thePlains of Moab that God had visited his people and given them food.	6 She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.
7 So, with her daughters-in-law, she left the place where she was living and they took the road back toJudah.	7 She and her two daughters-in-law left the place where they had been living. Then as they were on the road back to the land of Judah,
8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go back, each of you to your mother's house.	8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's house! May the LORD be kind to you as you were to the departed and to me!
9 May Yahweh show you faithful love, as you have done to those who have died and to me. Yahweh grantthat you may each find happiness with a husband!' She then kissed them, but they began weeping loudly,	9 May the LORD grant each of you a husband and a home in which you will find rest." She kissed them good-bye, but they wept with loud sobs,
10 and said, 'No, we shal go back with you to your people.'	10 and told her they would return with her to her people.
11 'Go home, daughters,' Naomi replied. 'Why come with me? Have I any more sons in my womb to makehusbands for you?	11 "Go back, my daughters!" said Naomi. "Why should you come with me? Have I other sons in my womb who may become your husbands?
12 Go home, daughters, go, for I am now too old to marry again. Even if I said, "I stil have a hope: I shalltake a husband this very night and shal bear more sons,"	12 Go back, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to marry again. And even if I could offer any hopes, or if tonight I had a husband or had borne sons,
13 would you be prepared to wait for them until they were grown up? Would you refuse to marry for theirsake? No, daughters, I am bitterly sorry for your sakes that the hand of Yahweh should have been raised againstme.'	13 would you then wait and deprive yourselves of husbands until those sons grew up? No, my daughters! my lot is too bitter for you, because the LORD has extended his hand against me."
14 They started weeping loudly al over again; Orpah then kissed her mother-in-law and went back to herpeople. But Ruth stayed with her.	14 Again they sobbed aloud and wept; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 Naomi then said, 'Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Go home, too;fol ow your sister-in-law.'	15 "See now!" she said, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!"
16 But Ruth said, 'Do not press me to leave you and to stop going with you, for wherever you go, I shalgo, wherever you live, I shal live. Your people will be my people, and your God wil be my God.	16 But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! for wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I shall die and there I shal be buried. Let Yahweh bring unnameable il s on me andworse il s, too, if anything but death should part me from you!'	17 Wherever you die I will die, and there be buried. May the LORD do so and so to me, and more besides, if aught but death separates me from you!"
18 Seeing that Ruth was determined to go with her, Naomi said no more.	18 Naomi then ceased to urge her, for she saw she was determined to go with her.
19 The two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival set the whole town astir, and thewomen said, 'Can this be Naomi?'	19 So they went on together till they reached Bethlehem. On their arrival there, the whole city was astir over them, and the women asked, "Can this be Naomi?"
20 To this she replied, 'Do not cal me Naomi, cal me Mara, for Shaddai has made my lot bitter.	20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made it very bitter for me.
21 I departed ful , and Yahweh has brought me home empty. Why, then, call me Naomi, since Yahwehhas pronounced against me and Shaddai has made me wretched?'	21 I went away with an abundance, but the LORD has brought me back destitute. Why should you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced against me and the Almighty has brought evil upon me?"
22 This was how Naomi came home with her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, on returning from thePlains of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.	22 Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.