Ruth 1:21
New International Version
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

New Living Translation
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

English Standard Version
I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Berean Standard Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

King James Bible
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

New King James Version
I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

New American Standard Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

NASB 1995
“I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

NASB 1977
“I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Legacy Standard Bible
I went out full, but Yahweh has caused me to return empty. Why do you call me Naomi? Yahweh has answered against me, and the Almighty has brought calamity against me.”

Amplified Bible
I left full [with a husband and two sons], but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Christian Standard Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced judgment on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

American Standard Version
I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For I went from here full and LORD JEHOVAH has returned me empty, and why therefore do you call you me Namei, for LORD JEHOVAH has humbled me, and from what opportunity he has had, he has afflicted me!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty: and why call ye me Noemin, whereas the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?

Contemporary English Version
I had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled and the Almighty hath afflicted?

English Revised Version
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi when the LORD has tormented me and the Almighty has done evil to me?"

Good News Translation
When I left here, I had plenty, but the LORD has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the LORD Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?"

International Standard Version
I left here full, but the LORD brought me back empty. So why call me 'Naomi'? After all, the LORD is against me, and the Almighty has broken me."

JPS Tanakh 1917
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me back home empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?'

Literal Standard Version
I went out full, and YHWH has brought me back empty, why do you call me Naomi, and YHWH has testified against me, and the Almighty has done evil to me?”

Majority Standard Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

New American Bible
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why should you call me ‘Sweet,’ since the LORD has brought me to trial, and the Almighty has pronounced evil sentence on me.”

NET Bible
I left here full, but the LORD has caused me to return empty-handed. Why do you call me 'Naomi,' seeing that the LORD has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer?"

New Revised Standard Version
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the LORD has dealt harshly with me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

New Heart English Bible
I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and Shaddai has afflicted me?"

Webster's Bible Translation
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

World English Bible
I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Young's Literal Translation
I went out full, and empty hath Jehovah brought me back, why do ye call me Naomi, and Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath done evil to me?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Return to Bethlehem
20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.” 22So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.…

Cross References
Job 1:21
saying: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Job 10:17
You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.

Job 30:11
Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.


Treasury of Scripture

I went out full and the LORD has brought me home again empty: why then call you me Naomi, seeing the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?

and the

1 Samuel 2:7,8
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up…

Job 1:21
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

the Lord

Job 10:17
Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

Job 13:26
For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

Job 16:8
And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

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Afflicted Almighty Calamity Empty Home Misfortune Naomi Na'omi Testified Witness Witnessed
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Afflicted Almighty Calamity Empty Home Misfortune Naomi Na'omi Testified Witness Witnessed
Ruth 1
1. Elimelech, driven by famine into Moab, dies there
4. Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also
6. Naomi, returning homeward
8. dissuades her two daughters-in-law from going with her
14. Orpah leaves her, but Ruth with great constancy accompanies her
19. The two come to Bethlehem, where they are gladly received














Verse 21. - I went forth full, and Yahveh has caused me to return in emptiness. Why should you call me Naomi, and Yahveh has testified against me, and the Almighty has brought evil upon me? She went forth "full," with husband and sons, not to speak of goods. She was under the necessity of returning in emptiness, or with empty hands. The Hebrew word רֵיקָם does not exactly mean empty, as it is rendered in the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and King James's version. It is not an adjective, but an adverb, emptily. This lamentable change of circumstances she attributed to the action of Yahveh. He had, she believed, been testifying against her by means of the trials through which she had passed. She was right in a certain conditional acceptation of her language; but only on condition of that condition. And, let us condition her declarations as we may, she was probably in danger of making the same mistake concerning herself and her trials which was made by Job's comforters in reference to the calamities by which he was overwhelmed. In so far as penal evil is concerned, it may be traced directly or circuitously to the will and government of God. "Shall there be evil - that is, penal evil - in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" (Amos 3:6). But there are many sufferings that are not penal. The evil that is penal is only one segment of physical evil; and then there is besides, metaphysical evil, or the evil that consists in the inevitable imperfection of finite being. It is noteworthy that the participle of the Hiphilic verb הֵרַע employed by Naomi is always translated in King James s version evil doer, or wicked doer, or evil, or wicked, Naomi, in using such a term, and applying it to Yahveh, was walking on a theological precipice, where it is not needful that we should accompany her. Instead of the literal expression, 'and Yahveh, we may, with our English wealth of conjunctions freely say, 'when Yahveh. There is a charm in the original simplicity. There is likewise a charm in the more complex structure of the free translation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

went away
הָלַ֔כְתִּי (hā·laḵ·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

full,
מְלֵאָ֣ה (mə·lê·’āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

but the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has brought me back
הֱשִׁיבַ֣נִי (hĕ·šî·ḇa·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

empty.
וְרֵיקָ֖ם (wə·rê·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 7387: Emptily, ineffectually, undeservedly

Why
לָ֣מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

call
תִקְרֶ֤אנָה (ṯiq·re·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

me Naomi,
נָעֳמִ֔י (nā·‘o·mî)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5281: Naomi -- mother-in-law of Ruth

since the LORD
וַֽיהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has testified
עָ֣נָה (‘ā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

against me,
בִ֔י (ḇî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

and the Almighty
וְשַׁדַּ֖י (wə·šad·day)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7706: The Almighty

has afflicted
הֵ֥רַֽע (hê·ra‘)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

me?”
לִֽי׃ (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: Ruth 1:21 I went out full and Yahweh has (Ru Rut.)
Ruth 1:20
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