THE GREAT MOTHER-IN-LAW NAOMI

[Ruth 1, 1-14]

Elimelech man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live temporarily in the country of Moab with his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion.

They were Ephrathites, Then Elimelech died, and Naomi’s was left [a widow] with her two sons. They took wives from the Moabite women; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years; and then both Mahlon and Chilion also died and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

So Naomi left the place where she was living, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to the land of Judah.

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,

“Go back, each of you return to your mother’s house. May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown kindness to the dead and to me. May the LORD grant that you find rest, each one in the home of her husband.” Then she kissed them [goodbye].

And they said to her, “No, we will go with you to your people [in Judah].”

But Naomi said,

• Go back, my daughters, why should you go with me?
• Do I still have sons in my womb that may become your husbands?
• Go back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, and if I actually had a husband tonight and even gave birth to sons, would you wait until they were grown?
• Would you go without marrying?
• No, my daughters; for it is much more difficult for me than for you, because the LORD’S hand has gone against me.

Orpah kissed her mother-in-law said [goodbye], but Ruth clung to her.