Ruth 1
1 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 sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 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.
3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6 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.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said unto 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.
9 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.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were 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 is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or 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:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 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?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
World Behind This Chapter
Explore the people, places, language, history, and material world connected to Ruth 1.
Why would an Israelite family move to Moab?
Moab lay east of the Dead Sea and could provide an alternative agricultural zone during scarcity in Judah. The move is geographically plausible, while the chapter does not identify the specific famine historically.
What does ḥesed mean in Ruth?
The Hebrew חֶסֶד (ḥesed) can describe loyal, committed kindness within relationships and obligations. Ruth uses the term for actions that go beyond bare legal minimums.
Explore the HebrewWhy does Naomi ask to be called Mara?
Naomi contrasts her name with מָרָא / “bitter,” turning a name change into a compact expression of how she understands her losses. The wordplay matters even though English cannot reproduce it fully.
WORTH A CLOSER LOOK
Between Bethlehem and Moab
This map places Bethlehem west of the Dead Sea and Moab to the east, showing the regional movement that frames Naomi’s departure and return. It provides geographic orientation rather than a claimed reconstruction of the family’s exact route.
View the mapResearch PathsCurated links for exploring this chapter 3
History & Daily Life1
- The Story of RuthBiblical Archaeology Society
Scholarly overview of Ruth’s setting in famine, migration between Judah and Moab, widowhood, and the repeated language of “return.” Use as literary and social context rather than proof of the story’s historical date.
Maps & Timeline1
- The Setting of RuthBible Mapper
Map-based introduction to Ruth 1–4, showing Bethlehem, Moab, the Dead Sea region, and the cross-border movement created by famine and migration.
Language & Literature1
- Compare Ruth 1:4 and Ezra 10:3Intertextual Bible
Meaningful literary comparison between Ruth’s Moabite marriages and Ezra’s later foreign-marriage crisis; useful for examining how biblical texts can present differing social and legal perspectives.
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