Chilion
Son of Elimelech and Naomi who moved with his family to Moab, married Orpah, and died there leaving his mother a widow with two daughters-in-law.
2 passages
Family Moves to Moab; Chilion Marries and Dies
1Long ago, judges ruled Israel. In those days the food ran out in the land. A man from Bethlehem, a town in Judah, went to live in Moab for a while. He took his wife and his two sons with him.
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Moab was a country next to Israel. To get there you walked around the Dead Sea. The people of Moab spoke a bit like Israel but worshiped other gods. Judah was the part of Israel where Bethlehem was. When the rain did not come, no crops grew and people had no bread. That is why the family moved away. Judges were leaders who settled fights and led the people in war.
2The man was named Elimelech. His wife was named Naomi. His two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They belonged to the Ephrathite families of Bethlehem in Judah. They came to Moab and made their home there.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
Ephrathite was the name of a family group from around Bethlehem. It means this family had lived there a long time. Bethlehem was once called Ephrath.
3Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died. Naomi was left with her two sons.
And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4The two sons married women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. The family lived in Moab about ten years.
And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
In those days people from Israel usually married someone from their own people. Marrying women from Moab was unusual. The two peoples prayed to different gods.
5Then Mahlon and Chilion died too. Naomi was left with no sons and no husband.
And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
Back then a woman with no husband and no sons was in real trouble. There were no jobs for her and no money coming in. Her family kept her fed and safe, and now Naomi had no one.
Boaz Redeems the Inheritance of Chilion and Mahlon
9Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, "You all saw this today. I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.
And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.
"You all saw this" means the people were witnesses. Their eyes and memories were the proof the deal really happened.
10I have also taken Ruth to be my wife. She came from Moab, and her husband Mahlon died. Her son will carry Mahlon's name and keep his land. So Mahlon's name will not be forgotten in his town. You all saw this today."
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
People wanted their family name to keep going after they died. A son carried that name on. Boaz promised that Mahlon's name would keep going.
Every passage here is the King James text. Nothing on this page retells the story; it only puts the pieces in order.