They went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the whole town became excited, and the women there exclaimed, "Is this really Naomi?"

When I left here, I had plenty, but the LORD has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the LORD Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?"

My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever.

My heart has been crushed because my people are crushed; I mourn; I am completely dismayed.

Now they lie unknown in the streets, their faces blackened in death; their skin, dry as wood, has shriveled on their bones.

Then, when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.

They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. "We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God," they taught.

I am like a stranger to my relatives, like a foreigner to my family.

Even your relatives, members of your own family, have betrayed you; they join in the attacks against you. Do not trust them, even though they speak friendly words."

In these times sons treat their fathers like fools, daughters oppose their mothers, and young women quarrel with their mothers-in-law; your enemies are the members of your own family.

Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!

I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law;

your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.

Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division.

Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters, and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law."

At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now.

Solomon has a vineyard in a place called Baal Hamon. There are farmers who rent it from him; each one pays a thousand silver coins.

Solomon is welcome to his thousand coins, and the farmers to two hundred as their share; I have a vineyard of my own!