וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה לָגוּר בִּשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּשְׁנֵי בָנָיו

It was in the days when the judges judged; there was a famine in the land due to a drought. And a wealthy, prominent man from Bethlehem, which was in the territory of Judah, near Jerusalem, went to reside temporarily in the fields of Moav, where conditions were better, he, his wife, and his two sons. The verse specifies Bethlehem in Judah in order to distinguish this place from the town of Bethlehem located in the Galilee.

וְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ נָעֳמִי וְשֵׁם שְׁנֵי־בָנָיו מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן אֶפְרָתִים מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׂדֵי־מוֹאָב וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁם

The name of the man was Elimelekh, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilyon. They were Efratites from Bethlehem of Judah. The region near Bethlehem was named after their family of Efrat, who was a descendant of Hur. They came to the fields of Moav and were there for some time.

וַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הִיא וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ

Elimelekh, Naomi’s husband, died while they were living in Moav, and she and her two sons remained in the fields of Moav.

וַיִּשְׂאוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מֹאֲבִיּוֹת שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָרְפָּה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית רוּת וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם כְּעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים

They, Naomi’s two sons, married local Moavite women: The name of the one was Orpa, and the name of the second Ruth; they lived there approximately ten years.

וַיָּמֻתוּ גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶם מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הָאִשָּׁה מִשְּׁנֵי יְלָדֶיהָ וּמֵאִישָׁהּ

Also both of them, Mahlon and Kilyon, died childless; and the woman, Naomi, remained of her two children and her husband.

וַתָּקָם הִיא וְכַלֹּתֶיהָ וַתָּשָׁב מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב כִּי שָׁמְעָה בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב כִּי־פָקַד ה' אֶת־עַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם לָחֶם

She and her daughters-in-law rose, and returned from the fields of Moav, not only because Naomi had lost her husband and sons, but also because she had heard in the fields of Moav that the Lord had remembered His people to give them bread. In the meantime, the famine had ended and normal life had resumed in the land of Judah.

וַתֵּצֵא מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה־שָׁמָּה וּשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ עִמָּהּ וַתֵּלַכְנָה בַדֶּרֶךְ לָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה

She departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law were with her, as they were her only surviving family members; they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי לִשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ לֵכְנָה שֹּׁבְנָה אִשָּׁה לְבֵית אִמָּהּ יַעַשׂ ה' עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם־הַמֵּתִים וְעִמָּדִי

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law: I am returning to my home and my people, but as for you, go, each return to her mother’s house and family. She added with great affection: May the Lord deal kindly with you and assist you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

יִתֵּן ה' לָכֶם וּמְצֶאןָ מְנוּחָה אִשָּׁה בֵּית אִישָׁהּ וַתִּשַּׁק לָהֶן וַתִּשֶּׂאנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה

May the Lord grant you that you find repose, each in the house of her husband. I bless each of you that you should both remarry and live in peace with new husbands. Since nothing remains from our family relationship, there is no reason for you to accompany me. Naomi wished to treat these two women fairly, as they were apparently relatively young, having married a mere few years earlier. She therefore encouraged them to resume their lives elsewhere. She, Naomi, kissed them a farewell kiss; and they, possibly all three of them, raised their voices and wept. This shared weeping is indicative of the profound ties between them, despite the fact that the pair were not Naomi’s biological daughters.

וַתֹּאמַרְנָה־לָּהּ כִּי־אִתָּךְ נָשׁוּב לְעַמֵּךְ

They said to her: No, for we will return with you to your people and live among your nation. We are one family, and we will continue to remain a family.

וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לָמָּה תֵלַכְנָה עִמִּי הַעוֹד־לִי בָנִים בְּמֵעַי וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים

Naomi said: Return, my daughters; why would you go with me? There is no reason for you to do so. Do I have more sons in my womb who will be husbands for you? Is there any chance that I will give birth to boys who might later marry you and produce offspring?

שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לֵכְןָ כִּי זָקַנְתִּי מִהְיוֹת לְאִישׁ כִּי אָמַרְתִּי יֶשׁ־לִי תִקְוָה גַּם הָיִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה לְאִישׁ וְגַם יָלַדְתִּי בָנִים

Accordingly, return, my daughters; go, as I am too old to remarry and have a second husband. Even if I were to entertain an utterly unrealistic idea and say: I have hope, then even if I had a husband tonight, and even if I were to bear sons,

הלָהֵן תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יִגְדָּלוּ הֲלָהֵן תֵּעָגֵנָה לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת לְאִישׁ אַל בְּנֹתַי כִּי־מַר־לִי מְאֹד מִכֶּם כִּי־יָצְאָה בִי יַד־ה'

would you wait for them, these imaginary sons, until they grow up? For them, would you constrain yourselves and stop your lives, to not have a husband? No, my daughters, for I am embittered on your account that I am unable to assist you or provide you with anything, for the hand of the Lord has been extended against me. I am left wretched and hopeless. Apparently, any property or possessions the family had once owned had been lost over the years.

וַתִּשֶּׂנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה עוֹד וַתִּשַּׁק עָרְפָּה לַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְרוּת דָּבְקָה בָּהּ

They raised their voices and wept more; Orpa kissed her mother-in-law farewell, as she had been convinced by Naomi’s argument and decided to return home, but Ruth clung to her and would not consent to any separation.

וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה שָׁבָה יְבִמְתֵּךְ אֶל־עַמָּהּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהֶיהָ שׁוּבִי אַחֲרֵי יְבִמְתֵּךְ

She, Naomi, said to Ruth: Behold, your sister-in-law returned to her people and to her god; return after your sister-in-law.

וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי בִי לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ כִּי אֶל־אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ וּבַאֲשֶׁר תָּלִינִי אָלִין עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי וֵאלֹהַיִךְ אֱלֹהָי

Ruth said: Do not implore me to leave you, to return from following you, to abandon you. For wherever you will go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; moreover, your people is my people, and your God my God. You said that Orpa should return to her nation and her gods, but Moav is no longer my nation, and the gods of Moav are no longer my gods. My ties to your family and way of life are not an accident, and I no longer feel any connection to the Moavite nation and its faith;

בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמוּתִי אָמוּת וְשָׁם אֶקָּבֵר כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה ה' לִי וְכֹה יוֹסִיף כִּי הַמָּוֶת יַפְרִיד בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵךְ

wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. I will remain alongside you until death, and I will be buried together with you. I swear that so may the Lord do to me, and so may He continue, for death will separate between me and you. Note that Ruth takes an oath in the name of the God of Israel.

וַתֵּרֶא כִּי־מִתְאַמֶּצֶת הִיא לָלֶכֶת אִתָּהּ וַתֶּחְדַּל לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיהָ

She, Naomi, saw that she was resolute to go with her, despite her best efforts to convince Ruth that she should return home, and she ceased speaking with her and urging her to return.

וַתֵּלַכְנָה שְׁתֵּיהֶם עַד־בּוֹאָנָה בֵּית לָחֶם וַיְהִי כְּבוֹאָנָה בֵּית לֶחֶם וַתֵּהֹם כָּל־הָעִיר עֲלֵיהֶן וַתֹּאמַרְנָה הֲזֹאת נָעֳמִי

The two of them walked until they arrived in Bethlehem. Since Bethlehem was not far from Moav, they presumably walked for only a few days. It was, upon their arriving in Bethlehem, that the whole city was in a tumult over them; the women said: Is that Naomi? No one was familiar with Ruth, but everyone in the small city knew the distinguished Naomi. At this stage, however, she had not only aged physically, but her dress and her appearance had changed, as the vicissitudes of life had left their scars.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶן אַל־תִּקְרֶאנָה לִּי נָעֳמִי קְרֶאןָ לִּי מָרָא כִּי־הֵמַר שַׁדַּי לִי מְאֹד

She said to them: Do not call me Naomi, meaning pleasant [no’am], as I have not had any pleasantness in my life; rather, call me Bitterness [Mara]. This name is more appropriate, as the Almighty has greatly embittered me and brought much bitterness and suffering upon me.

אֲנִי מְלֵאָה הָלַכְתִּי וְרֵיקָם הֱשִׁיבַנִי ה' לָמָּה תִקְרֶאנָה לִּי נָעֳמִי וַה' עָנָה בִי וְשַׁדַּי הֵרַע־לִי

I went full, with a husband, children, and possessions, and the Lord returned me empty, with nothing; why would you call me Naomi, and the Lord has testified against me and rebuked me for my sins; alternatively, He has warned me and the Almighty has harmed me?

וַתָּשָׁב נָעֳמִי וְרוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה כַלָּתָהּ עִמָּהּ הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ בֵּית לֶחֶם בִּתְחִלַּת קְצִיר שְׂעֹרִים

Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moavite, her daughter-in-law, was with her, who returned from the fields of Moav; they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, the period after the festival of Passover, when barley is first reaped. Thus, it was relatively easy to find food during this time of the year.