Your God will be my God
1There was a famine in the land during the time of the Judges, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed with his wife and two sons to sojourn in the country of Moab. 2The man was Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. A little later, after they had set tled in Moab, 3Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. She was left with her two sons, 4who married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.
After living in Moab for about ten years, 5Mahlon and Chilion also died and Naomi was left bereft of husband and two sons. 6Having heard that Yahweh had come to help his people by giving them food, Naomi prepared to return home. 7With her two daughters-in-law, she took the road back to Judah.
8It was then that Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s house. And may Yahweh be kind to you, as you have been to your dead and to me. 9May he also grant each of you rest in the home of another husband.” She kissed them goodbye. But they wept aloud 10and said to her, “No, we will go back with you to your people.”
11Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why should you come with me, when I have no more sons to become your husbands? 12Return home, my daughters. I am now too old to marry again. Even if I hope to have a husband tonight and give birth to sons, 13would you remain unmarried waiting for them to grow up? No, my daughters. I won’t share my lot with you for it is too bitter. Yahweh’s hand has been raised against me!”
14Again they sobbed and wept. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. 15Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law returns to her people and her gods. You too must return. Go after her.”
16Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you. For I will go where you go and stay where you stay. Your people will be my people and your god, my God. 17Where you die, there will I die and be buried. May Yahweh deal with me severely if anything except death separates us.” 18Realizing that Ruth was determined to go with her, Naomi stop pedurging her.
19So the two went on till they reached Bethlehem. Their arrival set the town astir. Women asked, “Can this be Naomi?” 20She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara for Yahweh has made life bitter for me. 21I came away full but go back empty. Why call me Naomi, when Yahweh has afflicted me?”
22Thus it was that Naomi returned from Moab with her Moabite daughter-in-law and arrived in Bethlehem as the barley harvest began.
