Ruth — FIT Version

1 And it happened in the days when the judges were governing that a famine came upon the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to reside for a time in the fields of Moab — he, his wife, and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion — Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they entered the fields of Moab and stayed there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she and her two sons were left behind. 4 The sons took Moabite wives for themselves — the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Kilion died; and the woman was left without her two sons and without her husband.

6 So she and her daughters-in-law got up and returned from the land of Moab, because she had heard while in Moab that YHWH had visited His people, to give them food. 7 So she left the place where she had been living, and her two daughters-in-law were with her. They were on the way, returning to the land of Judah.

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, each of you should return to the house of your mother. May YHWH show you ḥesed¹, just as you have shown to my dead husband and sons and to me. 9 May YHWH grant you rest and may you find rest each of you in the house of a new husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted their voice, and wept.”

10 But they said to her, ‘Surely we will return with you to your people.’ 11 Then Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Do you think I am still able to give birth to sons so that they can grow up and become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters. Go on. For I am too old to have children. Even if I were to say, “I still have hope for a child;” Even if I were to have intimacy with a man tonight, and even if I were to give birth to sons, 13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you hold yourselves back from marrying another man? No, my daughters, your circumstances have made my own life bitter as well, for the hand of YHWH has gone out against me." 14 And they lifted their voice and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and left. But Ruth clung to her. 15 Then Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Return with your sister-in-law."

16 But Ruth said, "Listen, do not urge me to leave you and return instead of going with you. For where you go, I will go; and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people are my people, and your God is my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May YHWH do thus to me, and may He do even more, if anything but death separates me from you.” 18 Since Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, Naomi stopped trying to persuade her.

19 So they both continued on their journey until they reached Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirring with excitement because of them, and the women were asking each other, "Is this Naomi?" 20 So Naomi said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi; You should call me 'Mara', because Shaddai² has treated me very bitterly. 21 I left full, but YHWH has brought me back empty. Why should you call me Naomi, when YHWH has testified against me, and Shaddai has caused hardship for me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, returned with her from Moab. They arrived at Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”