1Now there came a time, in the days of the judges, when there was no food in the land. And a certain man went from Beth-lehem-judah, he and his wife and his two sons, to make a living-place in the country of Moab.
2And 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 were there for some time.
3And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, came to his end; and only her two sons were with her.
4And they took two women of Moab as their wives: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they went on living there for about ten years.
5And Mahlon and Chilion came to their end; and the woman was without her two sons and her husband.
6So she and her daughters-in-law got ready to go back from the country of Moab, for news had come to her in the country of Moab that the Lord, in mercy for his people, had given them food.
7And she went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.
