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Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) But they both said, “No, we’ll go with you as you return to your relatives.”![]()
OET-LV And_they_said to_her if/because with_you we_will_return to_your_of_people.
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UHB וַתֹּאמַ֖רְנָה־לָּ֑הּ כִּי־אִתָּ֥ךְ נָשׁ֖וּב לְעַמֵּֽךְ׃ ‡
(vattoʼmarnāh-lāh kī-ʼittāk nāshūⱱ ləˊammēk.)
Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXX Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ, μετὰ σου ἐπιστρέφομεν εἰς τὸν λαόν σου.
(Kai eipan autaʸ, meta sou epistrefomen eis ton laon sou. )
BrTr And they said to her, We will return with thee to thy people.
ULT But they said to her, “Rather, we will return with you to your people.”
UST They each said, “No! We will return with you to your relatives.”
BSB and said “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
MSB (Same as BSB above)
OEB and said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’
WEBBE They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”
WMBB (Same as above)
NET But they said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people.”
LSV And they say to her, “Surely with you we go back to your people.”
FBV “No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
T4T They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
LEB And they said to her, “No, we want to return with you to your people.”
BBE And they said to her, No, but we will go back with you to your people.
Moff No Moff RUTH book available
JPS And they said unto her: 'Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.'
ASV And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.
DRA And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.
YLT And they say to her, 'Surely with thee we go back to thy people.'
Drby And they said to her, We will certainly return with thee to thy people.
RV And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.
(And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee/you unto thy/your people. )
SLT And they will say to her, But with thee we will turn back to thy people.
Wbstr And they said to her, surely we will return with thee to thy people.
KJB-1769 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
(And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee/you unto thy/your people. )
KJB-1611 And they said vnto her, Surely wee will returne with thee, vnto thy people.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
Bshps And sayde vnto her: Surely we will returne with thee vnto thy folke.
(And said unto her: Surely we will return with thee/you unto thy/your folk/people.)
Gnva And they saide vnto her, Surely we will returne with thee vnto thy people.
(And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee/you unto thy/your people. )
Cvdl & sayde vnto her: We wil go with the vnto yi people.
(and said unto her: We will go with the unto ye/you_all people.)
Wycl and to seie, We schulen go with thee to thi puple.
(and to say, We should go with thee/you to thy/your people.)
Luth Und sprachen zu ihr: Wir wollen mit dir zu deinem Volk gehen.
(And said to/for you(pl)/their/her: We want with you/to_you(sg) to/for your people go.)
ClVg et dicere: Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.
(and to_say: With_you we_will_continue to the_people your(sg). )
This section talks about the next main event of the story, which is Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Ruth.
Many scholars agree that verses 1:7–21 describe this event in detail, and that verse 1:22 is the closing verse of this section, which summarizes the event.
However, scholars do not agree about the function of verse 1:6. Some scholars believe that verse 1:6 is a summary introduction. It says that Naomi arose (she and her daughters-in-law) and returned from the region of Moab. Thus, this section begins and ends with a summary description of the main event.NICOT (pages 99–100 ): The common Hebrew idiom qûm plus a verb of motion (šûḇ) also signals the start of the story’s main action: Then she…returned. Structurally, the idiom is a summary-introduction to the following events (vv. 7–21) and forms an inclusio with the chapter’s summary-conclusion (cf. wattāšāḇ, v. 22). Further, it sounds the chapter’s main theme, namely, the return of Naomi.
Some other scholars do not believe that verse 1:6 is a summary introduction. Rather 1:6 describes the first part of the action. It says that she arose (she and her daughters-in-law) and prepared to return from the region of Moab.
The majority of versions follow the second suggestion. However, the first suggestion follows a pattern that is also in some other Hebrew narratives. An event is introduced by a summary statement, and the verses after it describe that event in detail.For example: Genesis 1:1 introduces the creation account of 1:2–31. Genesis 6:7 introduces the flood account of Genesis 6–9. Ruth 1:1–2 introduces the first section in Ruth 1:3–5. See the Note on 1:6b for more information.
Here are some other examples of section headings:
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem (NIV)
Naomi and Ruth Return (NLT)
Departure from Moab (GW)
and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
They said to her, “No! We want to go with you to live with your clan.”
and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”: In this verse, Orpah and Ruth told Naomi that they intended to accompany her as she returned to Bethlehem.
Here are some ways to indicate the connection of this clause to the previous clause. Any of these options is acceptable:
Indicate that this clause talks about the next action in the story. For example:
and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” (NJPS)
Indicate that Orpah and Ruth’s desire to stay with Naomi contrasts with Naomi’s intention to leave them. For example:
But they said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people.” (NET)
Leave implied the connection of this clause to the previous clause. For example:
They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” (NRSV)
Surely we will return: This phrase indicates that the daughters-in-law intend to accompany Naomi on her return to her people. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as Surely indicates that they objected to leaving Naomi.NICOT (page 106) calls it an emphatic kî adversative “On the contrary.”
Here are two ways to translate this conjunction:
Make the meaning of the conjunction explicit. For example:
“No,” they said, “We want to go with you (NLT)
Leave the meaning of the conjunction implied. For example:
“We are going back with you (GW)
The word return may cause confusion here. Only Naomi would actually be returning to Judah, since Orpah and Ruth had not been there before. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this verse part differently. For example:
Leave the word return implied. For example:
We want to go with you (CEV)
Translate in a way that the word return refers only to Naomi. For example:
“We will accompany you on your return
to your people: In Hebrew, the word people is very general. It could refer to Naomi’s relatives or to all the people of Israel. If your language has a word or phrase that refers to relatives, including distant relatives, you may want to use it here. For example:
to your clan
to your tribeThese suggestions are by UBS (page 13).
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive
נָשׁ֖וּב
return
When Orpah and Ruth said we, they were referring to themselves and not Naomi. So languages that have inclusive and exclusive forms of we would use the exclusive form here.
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
וַתֹּאמַ֖רְנָה
and,they_said
The word But here indicates a strong contrast between what Naomi said and what the daughters-in-law are about to say. In your translation, indicate this strong contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [Nevertheless, they said]
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
כִּי
that/for/because/then/when
The daughters-in-law use the word Rather here to indicate a strong contrast between what Naomi wants them to do and what they propose to do. In your translation, indicate this strong contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [Instead of that]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
אִתָּ֥ךְ
with,you
The word you is singular here because it refers to Naomi.

Ruth 1-4
The story of Ruth is set in the time of the Judges, a few generations before the birth of King David. While much animosity often existed between Israel and Moab (Judges 3:12-30; 10:6-12:7; 2 Samuel 8:2; 10; 2 Kings 3:4-27; 2 Chronicles 20; see also Nations across the Jordan River map), other times the two nations appear to have enjoyed a somewhat congenial relationship, as is demonstrated by Naomi’s willingness to relocate to Moab to seek relief from a famine. Later Naomi’s sons also marry Moabite women, and Ruth’s devotion to Naomi and her God no doubt speaks highly of the character of many Moabites. Many years later Ruth’s great-grandson David placed his parents in the care of the king of Moab while he was on the run from King Saul (1 Samuel 22:3-4).