19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, (A)all the city was stirred because of them, and [a]the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me [b]Naomi; call me [c]Mara, for [d](B)the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, but (C)the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me and [e]the Almighty has afflicted me?”

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:19 Lit they
  2. Ruth 1:20 I.e., pleasant
  3. Ruth 1:20 I.e., bitter
  4. Ruth 1:20 Heb Shaddai
  5. Ruth 1:21 Heb Shaddai

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.(A) When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred(B) because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[b] because the Almighty[c](C) has made my life very bitter.(D) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(E) Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[d] me;(F) the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
  2. Ruth 1:20 Mara means bitter.
  3. Ruth 1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21
  4. Ruth 1:21 Or has testified against