Ruth:1

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* And it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled , that there was a famine in the land . And a certain man went from Bethlehem-Judah , to sojourn in the country of Moab , he , and his wife , and his two sons . * 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 Bethlehem-Judah . And they came into the country of Moab , and continued there . * And Elimelech Naomi 's husband died ; and she was left , and her two sons . * And they took them Moabitish wives ; the name of the one was Orpah , and the name of the second Ruth : and they abode there about ten years . * And Mahlon and Chilion died also , both of them ; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband . * And she arose , she and her daughters-in-law , and returned from the fields of Moab ; for she had heard in the fields of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people to give them bread . * Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she had been , and her two daughters-in-law with her ; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah . * And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law , Go , return each to her mother 's house . Jehovah deal kindly with you , as ye have dealt with the dead and with me . * Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest , each in the house of her husband . And she kissed them ; and they lifted up their voice and wept . * And they said to her , We will certainly return with thee to thy people . * And Naomi said , Return , my daughters : why will ye go with me ? Are there yet sons in my womb , that they could be your husbands ? * Return , my daughters , go ; for I am too old to have a husband . If I should say , I have hope , should I even have a husband to-night , and should I also bear sons , * would ye wait on that account till they were grown ? Would ye stay on that account from having husbands ? No , my daughters , for I am in much more bitterness than you ; for the hand of Jehovah is gone out against me . * And they lifted up their voice and wept again . And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law , but Ruth clave to her . * And she said , Behold , thy sister-in-law is gone back to her people and to her gods : return after thy sister-in-law . * And Ruth said , Do not intreat me to leave thee , to return from [following ] after 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 ; * where thou diest will I die , and there will I be buried . Jehovah do so to me , and more also , if aught but death part me and thee ! * And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her , she left off speaking to her . * And they two went until they came to Bethlehem . And it came to pass , when they came to Bethlehem , that all the city was moved about them , and the [women ] said , Is this Naomi ? * And she said to them , Call me not Naomi -- call me Mara ; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me . * I went out full , and Jehovah has brought me home again empty . Why do ye call me Naomi , seeing Jehovah has brought me low , and the Almighty has afflicted me ? * So Naomi returned , and Ruth the Moabitess , her daughter-in-law , with her , who returned out of the fields of Moab ; and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of the barley-harvest .

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