Ruth 1

From Tragedy to Loyalty

1 Back when the judges were running things, there was a famine in the land. So this man from Bethlehem in Judah took his wife and two sons and dipped out to Moab to survive for a while.

2 Dude’s name was Elimelech. His wife was Naomi. Their sons were Mahlon and Chilion, all Ephrathites from Bethlehem. They moved to Moab and stayed there.

3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died. She was left with just her two boys.

4 The sons married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. They lived there about 10 years.

5 Then both sons died too, Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi was now alone, no husband, no sons.

Naomi Heads Home

6 Naomi heard that God had blessed His people back in Judah with food again. So she got up with her daughters-in-law to head back home.

7 She left the place she had been staying and started the journey back to Judah with her two daughters-in-law rolling with her.

8 But on the road Naomi stopped and said, “You all should go back to your momma’s house. May the Lord show you all love like you all showed to my sons and me.”

9 “May the Lord bless you with new husbands and a good life.” Then she kissed them, and they started crying like crazy.

10 They said, “No way. We are coming with you to your people.”

Naomi Tries to Let Them Go

11 But Naomi said, “Why are y’all coming with me? I do not have any more sons for y’all to marry.”

12 “Go back. Even if I had hope, even if I had a man tonight and got pregnant,”

13 “Are y’all going to wait for those babies to grow up? Nah, that does not make any sense. My heart is broken for y’all. The Lord’s hand has been heavy on me.”

Orpah Leaves, Ruth Stays

14 They cried some more. Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye, but Ruth held on tight.

15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law going back to her people and her gods. You should too.”

16 But Ruth said, “Do not tell me to bounce. Where you go, I am going. Where you stay, I stay. Your people are my people. Your God is my God.”

17 “Where you die, I will die. Where you buried, I will be buried. May God strike me down if anything but death breaks us up.”

18 When Naomi saw Ruth was not budging, she stopped trying to convince her.

Naomi Comes Back Bitter

19 So the two of them walked into Bethlehem. When they got there, the whole town was talking. “Is that Naomi?” the women asked.

20 Naomi said, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Lord made my life bitter.”

21 “I left full. The Lord brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord’s hand came down hard on me?”

22 So Naomi came back from Moab with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They rolled into Bethlehem just as the barley harvest was kicking off.