Rut 1:8-22 | ESV | STEP | But 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.

Ruth 1:8-22

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord ^adeal kindly with you, as you have dealt with ^bthe dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find ^crest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb ^dthat they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that ^ethe hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to ^fher gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. ^gYour people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. ^hMay the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 ⁱAnd when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Naomi and Ruth Return

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, ^jthe whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; ^{▼▼ Naomi means pleasant} call me ^lMara, ^{▼▼ Mara means bitter} for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 ⁿI went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem ^oat the beginning of barley harvest.