When the judges ruled, there was a famine in the country. In Bethlehem, Judah, there was a man who went to the land of Moab with his wife and two sons to sojourn.

This person’s name is Elimelech, and his wife’s name is Naomi. His two sons, one named Malun and the other named Kirian, were all Ephraimites from Bethlehem, Judah. They arrived in the land of Moab and stayed there.

Later, Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, leaving the woman and her two sons.

These two sons married a Moabite woman, one named Orba and the other named Ruth, and lived there for about ten years.

Malun and Kirian also died, leaving Naomi without a husband or son.

She stood up with her two daughters in law to return from the land of Moab. Because she heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited her people and given them food.

So she and her two daughters left their place of residence to return to the land of Judah.

Naomi said to her two daughters in law, “Each of you, go back to your mother’s house. May the Lord be kind to you, just as you have been kind to those who have died and to me.”.

May the Lord grant you all peace in the house of your new husband. So Naomi kissed them. They burst into tears,

Say, otherwise, we will go back to your own country with you.

Naomi said, My daughters, go back, why are you going with me? Can I still have a son to be your husband?

My daughters, go back. I’m old and can’t have a husband anymore. That is to say, I still have hope that my husband can have a son tonight.

How can you wait for them to grow up? How can you wait for them not to marry someone else? My daughters, do not do this. I am deeply distressed for your sake, because the Lord has stretched out his hand against me.

The two daughter-in-law burst into tears again, and Orba kissed her mother-in-law and said goodbye, but Ruth couldn’t bear to part with Naomi.

Naomi said, “See, your sister-in-law has already returned to her own country and to the gods she worships. Follow your sister-in-law back, too.”.

Ruth said, don’t rush me back and not follow you. Wherever you go, I will go as well. Where are you staying? I am also staying there. Your country is my country, and your God is my God.

Wherever you die, I die too, and I am buried there. Unless death can separate us, may the Lord punish me severely.

Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to follow her, so she stopped persuading her.

So the two of them walked together and arrived at Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, all the people of the city were surprised. The women said, is this Naomi?

Naomi said to them, Do not call me Naomi (which means sweet), but call me Mara (which means bitter), because the Almighty has caused me great suffering.

I went out full, and the Lord brought me back empty. Why do you still call me Naomi, even though the Lord has brought disaster on me and the Almighty has caused me suffering?

Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, a Moabitess, returned from the land of Moab to Bethlehem, just as they began to harvest barley.