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Ruth 1:20

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

She said to them, 'Don't call me Naomi anymore. Call me Mara, because God has made my life very bitter.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Naomi is asking people to call her by a different name that reflects the deep pain and loss she feels God has allowed in her life.

📚 Historical Context

Naomi had just returned to Bethlehem after losing her husband and both sons during a famine-driven stay in Moab. In Hebrew culture, names carried deep meaning - 'Naomi' means 'pleasant' while 'Mara' means 'bitter.' She was expressing her grief and feeling that God had turned her pleasant life into one filled with sorrow.

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Translation & Methodology Sources

The original manuscript text provided is based on the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain. Our modern English simplifications are generated via proprietary philological synthesis, cross-referenced against Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and the Textus Receptus to ensure unwavering theological and etymological precision.

Read our full translation methodology →