路得記1:1-5

1:1 當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。
1:2 這人名叫以利米勒，他的妻名叫拿俄米；他兩個兒子，一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連，都是猶大伯利恆的以法他人。他們到了摩押地，就住在那裡。
1:3 後來拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了，剩下婦人和她兩個兒子。
1:4 這兩個兒子娶了摩押女子為妻，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，在那裡住了約有十年。
1:5 瑪倫和基連二人也死了，剩下拿俄米，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. ² The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

³ Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

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    「伯利恆」是「糧食之家」的意思，然而饑荒太厲害了，讓以利米勒從那裏般到摩押地去寄居，以利米勒後來卻死在那裏。不僅這樣，他的兩個兒子一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連，在他死後就然取摩押女子為妻。再過十年，這兩個兒子也死了！

    也就這樣一家四口到摩押地，最後只剩下拿俄米一人，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。雖然有兩個媳婦，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，都是外邦的摩押女子。這種狀況，讓拿俄米真是沒有指望了！

    這種山窮水盡的狀態，讓人感到前途茫茫，不知上帝要如何拯救？願上帝大大的憐憫，每一個前途茫茫的人！因為人在這種無助的狀態，只能倚靠上帝了！