Naomi Becomes a Widow (1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1 WBS 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 dwell in the country of Moab, he, and 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. BSB BSB: Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
4 WBS And they took to themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there 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 WBS And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left by her two sons and her husband. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS Wherefore she went forth from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way 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 WBS And Naomi said to 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. 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 WBS 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. 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 WBS And they said to her, surely we will return with thee to thy people. BSB BSB: and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11 WBS And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? shall I bear more sons, that they may be 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 WBS Turn again, my daughters, go your way ; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also to-night, and should also bear 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 WBS Would ye wait for them till they should be 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 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 WBS And they lifted up their voice, and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved to her. BSB BSB: Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15 WBS And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law hath gone back to her people, and to her gods: return thou after thy 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 WBS And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following 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: 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 WBS Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death shall part thee and me. 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 WBS When she saw that she was steadfastly resolved to go with her, then she left speaking to 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 WBS So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they had come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they 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 WBS And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath 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 WBS 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? 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 WBS So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of 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.