Naomi was married and had two sons. They were from Bethlehem and moved to Moab. There, in Moab, her husband died. Then her two sons married and they lived in Moab for ten years. Then her two sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law to fend for themselves.

Naomi told her two daughters-in-law to go back home and live with their mothers. The one daughter-in-law did, but the other one, Ruth, would not leave Naomi.