The woman who tasted the bitterness of life ...
Naomi, the woman who tasted the bitterness of life, had no hope (Ruth 1:12).
She went to the land of Moab and sojourned there,
where not only her husband died but also her two sons (vv. 1, 3, 5).
She was too old to marry again (v. 12),
implying that she could no longer bear sons (v. 12).
She thought that the hand of the Lord had dealt harshly with her (v. 13)
and that the Almighty had afflicted her severely (v. 20).
Having lived plentifully in Judah Bethlehem (v. 21),
she moved to the land of Moab due to a famine (v. 1),
but claimed that the Lord had made her return empty (v. 21) to Judah Bethlehem.
She believed that the Lord had punished her
and that the Almighty had brought affliction upon her (v. 21).
Therefore, Naomi asked not to be called "Naomi" anymore
but to be called "Mara" (v. 20).
["Naomi" means "my delight," and "Mara" means "bitter" or "sorrow."]