Chapter XLVII.
RUTH’S AFFECTION FOR HER MOTHER-IN-LAW.
[Ruth 1—4.]
IN the days when the Judges ruled in Israel there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem[1], with his wife and two sons, went to sojourn in the land of Moab[2]. His name was Elimelech and his wife’s Noemi. After having lived many years in Moab Elimelech died, and his two sons, who had taken wives from amongst the daughters of Moab, also died ten years after their father’s death.
Noemi being now left alone, and full of sorrow for the loss of her husband and two sons, arose to return to her own country [3]. Her two daughters-in-law[4], Orpha and Ruth, went forth with her. As they journeyed on towards the land of Juda, Noemi spoke to Orpha and Ruth: “Go ye home to your mothers. The Lord deal mercifully[5] with you as you have dealt with the dead and me." And she kissed them. But they lifted up their voice and wept, and said: “We will go on with thee to thy people.”
Noemi answered: “Do not so, my daughters; for I am grieved the more for your distress; and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.” Then Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned. Ruth, however, would not depart. Noemi spoke again: “Behold, thy kinswoman is returned to her people; go thou with her.”
Thereupon Ruth replied: “Be not against me, for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go, and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God[6]. The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will
- ↑ Man of Bethlehem. Of the tribe of Juda.
- ↑ The land of Moab. East of the Dead Sea. There was no famine in that country.
- ↑ Her own country. She had learnt that the famine had ceased in Chanaan, and she longed to be back in her own country.
- ↑ Daughters-in-law. The two Moabite women, widows of her dead sons.
- ↑ Deal mercifully . May God be merciful to you and prosper you, because you were merciful to my sons, nursing them in their sickness &c., and have been full of love for me, a poor forsaken widow.
- ↑ Thy God my God. We can see by this that Ruth had renounced idolatry, and had received the true faith.
