Naomi Widowed

1 In the days ^awhen the judges ruled there was ^ba famine in the land, and a man of ^cBethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were ^dEphrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that ^ethe Lord had visited his people and ^fgiven them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord ^gdeal kindly with you, as you have dealt with ^hthe dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find ⁱrest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb ^jthat they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that ^kthe hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to ^lher gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. ^mYour people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. ⁿMay the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 ^oAnd when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Naomi and Ruth Return

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, ^pthe whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;¹ call me ^qMara,² for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 ^rI went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem ^sat the beginning of barley harvest.

I Love the Lord

Warning Against Idolatry

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,¹ that our fathers were all under ^bthe cloud, and all ^cpassed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and ^dall ate the same ^espiritual food, 4 and ^fall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for ^gthey were overthrown² in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as ^hthey did. 7 ⁱDo not be idolaters ^jas some of them were; as it is written, ^k“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 ^lWe must not indulge in sexual immorality ^mas some of them did, and ⁿtwenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ³ to the test, ^oas some of them did and ^pwere destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, ^qas some of them did and ^rwere destroyed by ^sthe Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but ^tthey were written down for our instruction, ^uon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore ^vlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. ^wGod is faithful, and ^xhe will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, ^yflee from idolatry. 15 I speak ^zas to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 ^aThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? ^bThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are ^cone body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider ^dthe people of Israel:^{4 e}are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that ^fan idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^gthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 ^hYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ⁱthe cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^jthe table of demons. 22 ^kShall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^lAre we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 ^m“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 ⁿLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 ^oEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For ^p“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^qeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean ^ryour conscience, but his. For ^swhy should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^tfor which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or ^uwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 ^vGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to ^wthe church of God, 33 just as ^xI try to please everyone in everything I do, ^ynot seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.