Ruth 1
1IN THE days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, his wife, and his two sons.H3117H8199H8199H7458H776H376H1035H3063H3212H1481H7704H4124H802H8147H11212The man's name was Elimelech and his wife's name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon [invalid] and Chilion [pining]; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They went to the country of Moab and continued there.H8034H376H458H8034H802H5281H8034H8147H1121H4248H3630H673H1035H3063H935H7704H41243But Elimelech, who Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.H458H5281H376H4191H7604H8147H11214And they took wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They dwelt there about ten years;H5375H802H802H4125H8034H259H6204H8034H8145H7327H3427H6235H81415And Mahlon and Chilion died also, both of them, so the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband.H4248H3630H4191H8147H802H7604H8147H3206H3766Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the Lord had visited His people in giving them food.H6965H3618H7725H7704H4124H8085H7704H4124H3068H6485H5971H5414H38997So she left the place where she was, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to Judah.H3318H4725H8147H3618H3212H1870H7725H776H30638But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.H5281H559H8147H3618H3212H7725H802H517H1004H3068H6213H2617H6213H41919The Lord grant that you may find a home {and} rest, each in the house of her husband! Then she kissed them and they wept aloud.H3068H5414H4672H4496H802H1004H376H5401H5375H6963H105810And they said to her, No, we will return with you to your people.H559H7725H597111But Naomi said, Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that may become your husbands?H5281H559H7725H1323H3212H1121H4578H58212Turn back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband tonight and should bear sons,H7725H1323H3212H2204H376H559H3426H8615H376H3915H3205H112113Would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; it is far more bitter for me than for you that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.H7663H3860H1431H5702H3860H376H1323H4843H3966H3027H3068H331814Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her.H5375H6963H1058H6204H5401H2545H7327H169215And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.H559H2994H7725H5971H430H7725H310H299416And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following 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.H7327H559H6293H5800H7725H310H3212H3212H3885H3885H5971H5971H430H43017Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.H4191H4191H6912H3068H6213H3254H4194H650418When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more.H7200H553H3212H2308H169619So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred about them, and said, Is this Naomi?H8147H3212H935H1035H935H1035H5892H1949H559H528120And she said to them, Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.H559H7121H5281H7121H4755H7706H3966H484321I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?H1980H4392H3068H7725H7387H7121H5281H3068H6030H7706H748922So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.H5281H7725H7327H4125H3618H7725H7704H4124H935H1035H8462H8184H7105
Singapore, Central Singapore
