Study Desk

And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

Then ^(F1)both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had ^(C1)visited His people by ^(C2)giving them food.

So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to ^(F1)your mother's house. ^(C1)May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

"May the LORD grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.

However, they said to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people."

But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that ^(C1)they may be your husbands?

"Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons,

would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because ^(C1)the hand of the LORD has come out against me."

And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.