Naomi Becomes a Widow (1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1 UEB It happened in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. BSB BSB: In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
2 UEB The name of the man was Elimelek, and the name of his wife was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion, who were Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. They arrived at the country of Moab and lived there. BSB BSB: The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
3 UEB Then Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. BSB BSB: Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
4 UEB These sons took wives from the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there for about ten years. BSB BSB: who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
5 UEB Then both Mahlon and Kilion died, leaving Naomi without her husband and without her two children. BSB BSB: both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.
Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi 6 UEB Then Naomi decided to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law and return to Judah because she had heard in the region of Moab that Yahweh had helped his people in need and had given them food. BSB BSB: When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.
7 UEB So she left the place where she had been with her two daughters-in-law, and they walked down the road to return to the land of Judah. BSB BSB: Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
8 UEB Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return, each of you, to your mother's house. May Yahweh show kindness toward you, as you have shown kindness toward the dead and toward me. BSB BSB: Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
9 UEB May the Lord grant you that you find rest, each of you in the house of another husband." Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and cried. BSB BSB: May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
10 UEB They said to her, "No! We will return with you to your people." BSB BSB: and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11 UEB But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters! Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb for you, so that they may become your husbands? BSB BSB: But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?
12 UEB Turn back, my daughters, go your own way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said, 'I hope I get a husband tonight,' and then give birth to sons, BSB BSB: Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
13 UEB would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you choose not to marry a husband? No, my daughters! It is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me." BSB BSB: would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
14 UEB Then her daughters-in-law lifted up their voices and cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell, but Ruth held on to her. BSB BSB: Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15 UEB Naomi said, "Listen, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law." BSB BSB: “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
16 UEB But Ruth said, "Do not make me go away from you, for where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. BSB BSB: But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17 UEB Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and even more, if anything but death ever separates us." BSB BSB: Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
18 UEB When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped arguing with her. BSB BSB: When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
The Return to Bethlehem 19 UEB So the two traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. It happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town was very excited about them. The women said, "Is this Naomi?" BSB BSB: So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 UEB But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Bitter, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. BSB BSB: “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
21 UEB I went out full, but Yahweh has brought me home again empty. So why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has condemned me, that the Almighty has afflicted me?" BSB BSB: I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
22 UEB So Naomi and Ruth the Moabite woman, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. BSB BSB: So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.