Ruth 1:1-22 TLB

[1] Long ago when judges ruled in Israel, a man named Elimelech, from Bethlehem, left the country because of a famine and moved to the land of Moab. With him were his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. [3] During the time of their residence there, Elimelech died and Naomi was left with her two sons. [4] These young men, Mahlon and Chilion, married girls of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. But later, both men died, so that Naomi was left alone, without her husband or sons. [6] She decided to return to Israel with her daughters-in-law, for she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people by giving them good crops again. [8] But after they had begun their homeward journey, she changed her mind and said to her two daughters-in-law, "Why don't you return to your parents' homes instead of coming with me? And may the Lord reward you for your faithfulness to your husbands and to me. [9] And may he bless you with another happy marriage." Then she kissed them, and they all broke down and cried. [10] "No," they said. "We want to go with you to your people." [11] But Naomi replied, "It is better for you to return to your own people. Do I have younger sons who could grow up to be your husbands? [12] No, my daughters, return to your parents' homes, for I am too old to have a husband. And even if that were possible, and I became pregnant tonight, and bore sons [13] would you wait for them to grow up? No, of course not, my daughters; oh, how I grieve for you that the Lord has punished me in a way that injures you." [14] And again they cried together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, and returned to her childhood home; but Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi. [15] "See," Naomi said to her, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; you should do the same." [16] But Ruth replied, "Don't make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God; [17] I want to die where you die and be buried there. May the Lord do terrible things to me if I allow anything but death to separate us." [18] And when Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind and could not be persuaded otherwise, she stopped urging her. [19] So they both came to Bethlehem, and the entire village was stirred by their arrival. "Is it really Naomi?" the women asked. [20] But she told them, "Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," (Naomi means "pleasant"; Mara means "bitter") "for Almighty God has dealt me bitter blows. [21] I went out full and the Lord has brought me home empty; why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has turned his back on me and sent such calamity!" [22] (Their return from Moab and arrival in Bethlehem was at the beginning of the barley harvest.)