It is the time of the Judges in Israel, and famine has swept through the land. The family of Elimelech has come to the prosperous but alien land of Moab to buy food for their people. Their two sons, though suffering from chronic illness, thrive in this pleasant land, and wives must be found for them. In the same city, two sisters live in a cold and unfriendly home; while blessed with material wealth, they are starving for love and affection. A match is made, and Ruth and her sister Orphah join the affectionate and kind Hebrew family. But tragedy strikes after several happy years, and a long and difficult journey back to the family home in Bethlehem lies ahead. They must make the painful decision of leaving their beloved country and becoming despised outcasts in a land which hates them, or staying and returning to their cold and resentful parents. How can they bear to part from their mother-in-law Naomi, who has loved them so well? But how can they leave their gods and people behind? How can Ruth endure the stigma of being a Foreigner? Out of print for more than 20 years, this special edition is presented in a large, trade size paperback format, suitable for collecting.