Ruth 1:8

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home! ¹  May the Lord show ²  you ³  the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands ⁴  and to me! ⁵ 

biblegateway Rut 1:8

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.

biblegateway Rut 1:8

And 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.

biblegateway Rut 1:8

But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters–in–law, "Go back to your mothers’ homes instead of coming with me. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.

biblegateway Rut 1:8

After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may GOD treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me.

SABDAweb Rut 1:8

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back to your mothers’ houses: may the Lord be good to you as you have been good to the dead and to me:

bibleoremus Rut 1:8

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

biblegateway Rut 1:8

And Naomi said to her two daughters–in–law, "Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

biblegateway Rut 1:8

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home! ¹  May the Lord show ²  you ³  the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands ⁴  and to me! ⁵ 

¹ tn Heb “each to the house of her mother.” Naomi’s words imply that it is more appropriate for the two widows to go home to their mothers, rather than stay with their mother-in-law (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75).

² tc The MT (Kethib) has the imperfect יַעֲשֶׂה (ya’aseh, “[the Lord] will do”), but the marginal reading (Qere) has the shortened jussive form יַעַשׂ (ya’as, “may [the Lord] do”), which is more probable in this prayer of blessing. Most English versions adopt the jussive form (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, JPS, TEV, CEV, NLT).

³ tn Heb “do with you”; NRSV “deal kindly with you”; NLT “reward you for your kindness.” The pronominal suffix “you” appears to be a masculine form, but this is likely a preservation of an archaic dual form (see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).

⁴ tn Heb “the dead” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “your husbands.” This refers to their deceased husbands.

⁵ tn Heb “devotion as you have done with the dead and with me.” The noun חֶסֶד (khesed, “devotion”) is a key thematic term in the book of Ruth (see 2:20; 3:10). G. R. Clark suggests that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient”; an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him – or herself” (The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267). HALOT 336-37 s.v. II חֶסֶד defines the word as “loyalty” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate glosses might be “commitment” and “devotion.”