Naomi And Ruth
Worship
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
Scriptures For The Lectionary Speaking Choir
Suggestions:
Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
The explainer reads rather as an aside.
5 readers -- all women
Key:
1 and 3 = two narrators
2 = explainer
4 = Naomi
5 = Ruth
1: In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the
land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the
country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.
2: The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife
Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion;
they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.
1: They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But
Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her
two sons. These took Moabite wives;
2: the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.
1: When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and
Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two
sons and her husband.
3: Then she started to return with her daughter-in-law from the
country of Moab,
2: for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had
considered his people and given them food.
3: So she set out from the place where she had been living,
2: she and her two daughters-in-law,
3: and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.
4: 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. The Lord grant that you
may find security, each of you in the house of your husband."
3: Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her,
"No, we will return with you to your people."
4: But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with
me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your
husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old
to have a husband.
(4:) Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should
have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until
they were grown?
(4:) Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it
has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of
the Lord has turned against me."
3: Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth clung to her.
4: So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her
people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
5: But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back
from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I
will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
(5:) Where you die, I will die -- there will I be buried. May the
Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts
me from you!"
3: When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she
said no more to her.
Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading.
The explainer reads rather as an aside.
5 readers -- all women
Key:
1 and 3 = two narrators
2 = explainer
4 = Naomi
5 = Ruth
1: In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the
land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the
country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.
2: The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife
Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion;
they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.
1: They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But
Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her
two sons. These took Moabite wives;
2: the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.
1: When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and
Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two
sons and her husband.
3: Then she started to return with her daughter-in-law from the
country of Moab,
2: for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had
considered his people and given them food.
3: So she set out from the place where she had been living,
2: she and her two daughters-in-law,
3: and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.
4: 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. The Lord grant that you
may find security, each of you in the house of your husband."
3: Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her,
"No, we will return with you to your people."
4: But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with
me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your
husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old
to have a husband.
(4:) Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should
have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until
they were grown?
(4:) Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it
has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of
the Lord has turned against me."
3: Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth clung to her.
4: So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her
people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
5: But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back
from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I
will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
(5:) Where you die, I will die -- there will I be buried. May the
Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts
me from you!"
3: When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she
said no more to her.
