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But Naomi replied, "Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands!

Again they wept loudly. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her.

But Ruth replied, "Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God.

But she replied to them, "Don't call me ‘Naomi'! Call me ‘Mara' because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly.

I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. Why do you call me ‘Naomi,' seeing that the Lord has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer?"

So bathe yourself, rub on some perfumed oil, and get dressed up. Then go down to the threshing floor. But don't let the man know you're there until he finishes his meal.

Now yes, it is true that I am a guardian, but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am.

Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you, fine, let him do so. But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you. Sleep here until morning."

So I am legally informing you: Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people! If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. But if not, then tell me so I will know. For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you." He replied, "I will redeem it."

He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children.

But Hannah replied, "That's not the way it is, my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to the Lord .

but Hannah did not go up with them. Instead she told her husband, "Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord , and he will remain there from then on."

The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away.

He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one's own strength that one prevails.

Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of Eli the priest.

Even before they burned the fat, the priest's attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, "Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won't take boiled meat from you, but only raw."

If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord , who then will intercede for him?" But Eli's sons would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.

Therefore the Lord , the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor's house would serve me forever.' But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!