Ruth 1 opens one of the most beloved short stories in Scripture - a famine, three deaths in Moab, and a daughter-in-law who refuses to abandon her mother-in-law even when released from every obligation. Two widows return to Bethlehem at the start of the barley harvest, one carrying a new name: Mara, “bitter.”

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

In the days when the judges judged There was a famine in the land A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab With his wife and his two sons

The name of his wife was Naomi Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died And she was left with her two sons Mahlon and Chilion both died And the woman was bereaved of her two children And of her husband

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law Go, return each of you to her mother’s house May the LORD deal kindly with you As you have dealt with the dead and with me Then she kissed them And they lifted up their voices, and wept

Why do you want to go with me? Go back, my daughters For the LORD’s hand has gone out against me

Don’t urge me to leave you Where you go, I will go Where you stay, I will stay Your people will be my people And your God my God

Where you die, I will die And there I will be buried May the LORD do so to me, and more also If anything but death parts you and me

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her She stopped urging her So they both went until they came to Bethlehem All the city was excited about them And they asked, is this Naomi?

Don’t call me Naomi Call me Mara For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me I went out full And the LORD has brought me home again empty

So Naomi returned And Ruth the Moabitess Her daughter-in-law, with her They came to Bethlehem In the beginning of barley harvest

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Ruth 1 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press