A Family Flees to Moab
Study note
During the time of the judges, Israel had no king and often faced hardship. Bethlehem, whose name means 'house of bread,' was struck by famine. A man named Elimelech took his family east across the Jordan River to Moab, a neighboring country. The Moabites worshipped a different god named Chemosh. After settling there, Elimelech died, and his two sons married Moabite women. Then both sons also died, leaving three widows with no one to provide for them.
1 Long ago, during the time when Israel was governed by judges, a severe food shortage hit the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah decided to move his wife and two sons to the country of Moab to find food. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They belonged to the Ephrathite clan from Bethlehem in Judah. After arriving in Moab, they made it their home. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 While they were living in Moab, Naomi's husband Elimelech died, leaving Naomi alone with her two sons. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 Both sons married Moabite women -- one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. The family lived together in Moab for roughly ten years. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion died as well. Naomi was left all alone, without her husband or either of her sons. She had nobody to provide for her. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
Naomi Tells Her Daughters-in-Law to Go Home
Study note
In the ancient world, a widow without sons had almost no way to support herself. Naomi heard that God had ended the famine in Israel, so she decided to go back. She urged her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their own families in Moab, where they would have a better chance of finding new husbands. Naomi explained that she was too old to have more sons, referring to the custom where a brother-in-law would marry his dead brother's widow to carry on the family name.
6 When Naomi heard that the Lord had blessed his people back home with food again, she made plans to leave Moab and return to Judah. Her two daughters-in-law got ready to travel with her. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Naomi left the place in Moab where she had been staying, and her two daughters-in-law walked alongside her. Together they headed down the road toward the land of Judah. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 Along the way, Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, "Turn around and go back, each of you to your own mother's house. I pray the Lord will be as good to you as you have been to your husbands who died and to me." And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 "I pray the Lord will help each of you find safety and happiness in a new marriage." She kissed them both goodbye. But both women started crying loudly. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 They both said to her, "No! We are going with you to live among your people." And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 Naomi replied, "Please go home, my dear daughters. What reason is there for you to come with me? I do not have any more sons who could become your husbands." And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 "Go home, my daughters, and start fresh. I am too old to marry again. Even if I imagined there was still hope -- even if I got married tonight and had more sons --" Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 "would you truly wait years and years for them to grow up? Would you put your whole life on hold and refuse to remarry? No, my dear daughters. My situation is deeply painful, and the Lord himself has acted against me. I feel terrible that you are caught up in my suffering." Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
Ruth's Promise of Loyalty
Study note
Orpah sadly kissed Naomi goodbye and went back to Moab. But Ruth clung to Naomi and refused to leave. Ruth's speech in verses 16-17 is one of the most beloved passages in the Bible. By choosing to follow Naomi, Ruth was giving up her homeland, her family, and her gods to adopt a new people and a new God. This was an extraordinary act of loyal love.
14 They all wept together again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law one last time and turned back. But Ruth wrapped her arms around Naomi and refused to let go. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 Naomi said, "Look -- your sister-in-law is heading back to her own people and her own gods. Go with her." And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 But Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God." And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 "Where you die, that is where I will die, and that is where I want to be buried. May the Lord deal with me severely if anything besides death separates us." Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18 Naomi could see that Ruth had completely made up her mind and would not be talked out of it. So she stopped trying to persuade her. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem
Study note
The two women arrived in Bethlehem, and the whole town buzzed with surprise. Naomi told the people to stop calling her by her name, which means 'pleasant,' and instead call her Mara, which means 'bitter.' She felt that God had taken everything from her. They arrived at the start of the barley harvest, which was in late April or early May. This timing would become very important for what happened next.
19 The two women traveled together all the way to Bethlehem. When they walked into town, everyone was buzzing with excitement. The women of the town exclaimed, "Is this truly Naomi?" So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 She told them, "Do not call me Naomi anymore -- that name means 'pleasant.' Call me Mara instead -- that means 'bitter.' The Almighty has filled my life with bitterness." And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 "When I left here, I had a full family. But the Lord has brought me back with nothing. Why call me 'pleasant' when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought disaster into my life?" I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 That is the story of how Naomi returned from Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabite at her side. They arrived in Bethlehem right when the barley harvest was getting underway. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.