Ruth 1:1

Easy To Read Version

Long ago, during the time the judges [1] ruled, there was a bad time when there was not enough food to eat. A man named Elimelech left Bethlehem, Judah. He, his wife and his two sons moved to the hill country of Moab. [2]

Cross References

Genesis 12:10

During this time, the land was very dry. There was no rain, and no food was able to grow. So Abram went down to Egypt to live.

Genesis 26:1

Once there was a famine. [151] This was like the famine that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar, to Abimelech the king of the Philistine people.

Genesis 43:1

The time of hunger was very bad in that country.

2 Samuel 21:1

There was a famine while David was king. This time of hunger continued for three years. David prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered. The Lord said, “Saul and his family of murderers [119] are the reason for this time of hunger. This famine came because Saul killed the Gibeonites.” (

1 Kings 18:2

So Elijah went to meet Ahab.

1 Chronicles 2:51

Salma, the founder of Bethlehem, and Hareph, the founder of Beth Gader.

1 Chronicles 2:54

This is a list of Salma’s descendants: [27] The people from Bethlehem, Netophah, Atroth Beth Joab, half the people from Manahti, the Zorite people,

Psalm 105:16

God caused a famine {\cf2\super [550]} in that country.\par People did not have enough food to eat.\par

Psalm 107:34

God changed the fertile land\par and it became worthless salty land.\par Why? Because of the bad people\par who were living in that place.\par

Jeremiah 14:1

This is the Lord’s message to Jeremiah about the drought: {\cf2\super [119]}

Ezekiel 14:13

“Son of man, {\cf2\super [113]} I will punish any nation that leaves me and sins against me. I will stop their food supply. I might cause a time of hunger and remove the people and animals from that country.

Leviticus 26:19

And I will also destroy the {great cities that} make you proud. The skies will not give rain, and the earth will not produce crops. [444]

Amos 4:6

“\{I did many things to try to make you come to me.\} I didn’t give you any food to eat. {\cf2\super [53]} There was no food in any of your cities. But you didn’t come back to me.” The Lord said those things.

Micah 5:2

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,\par are the smallest town in Judah.\par Your family is almost too small to count.\par But the “Ruler of Israel”\par will come from you for me.\par His beginnings {\cf2\super [60]} are from ancient times,\par from long, long ago.\par

Deuteronomy 28:38

“Your fields will produce plenty of grain. But your harvest will be small. Why? Because the locusts [184] will eat your harvest.

Judges 12:8

After Jephthah, a man named Ibzan was a judge for the people of Israel. Ibzan was from the city of Bethlehem.

Judges 17:7

There was a young man that was a Levite. [129] He was from the city of Bethlehem, Judah. He had been living among the family group of Judah.

Judges 17:8

That young man left Bethlehem, Judah. He was looking for another place to live. As he was traveling, he came to Micah’s house. Micah’s house was in the hill country of the land of Ephraim.