10. Her daughters-in-law said to her, “No. We will go with you to your people.”
11. But Naomi said, “My daughters, go back to your own homes. Why do you want to go with me? I cannot give birth to more sons to give you new husbands.
12. So go back to your own homes. I am too old to have another husband. But even if I had another husband tonight and if I had more sons, it wouldn’t help!
13. Would you wait until the babies were grown into men? Would you live for so many years without husbands? Don’t do this thing. My life is much too sad for you to share. This is because the Lord is against me!”
14. The women cried together again. Then Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye, but Ruth held on to her.
15. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and her own gods. Go back with her.”
16. But Ruth said, “Don’t ask me to leave you! Don’t beg me not to follow you! Every place you go, I will go. Every place you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
17. And where you die, I will die. And there I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me terribly if I do not keep this promise: Only death will separate us.”
18. Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So Naomi stopped arguing with her.
19. Naomi and Ruth went on until they came to the town of Bethlehem. When the two women entered Bethlehem, all the people became very excited. The women of the town said, “Is this Naomi?”
20. But Naomi told the people, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because God All-Powerful has made my life very sad.
21. When I left, I had all I wanted. But now, the Lord has brought me home with nothing. So why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has spoken against me? God All-Powerful has given me much trouble.”