15. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.”
16. But Ruth answered, “Don’t force me to leave you. Don’t make me turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17. Wherever you die, I will die, and I will be buried there with you. May the Lord strike me down if anything but death separates you and me!”
18. When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ended the conversation.
19. So both of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about them. “This can’t be Naomi, can it?” the women asked.
20. She answered them, “Don’t call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.