1. In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the land of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
2. The name of the man was Elimelek, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3. Now Elimelek, the husband of Naomi, died, so she was left alone with her two sons.
4. They took Moabite wives for themselves; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
5. Then Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6. So she got up with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, for in the land of Moab, she had heard that the Lord had visited His people by giving them food.