Ruth 1:16

14 Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
KJV
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
WEB
Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
ASV
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
DARBY
And Ruth said, Do not intreat me to leave thee, to return from [following] after thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
BLB
And Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back from following after you. For to wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [are] my people, and your God my God.
ÅB
Men Rut sa: Søk ikke å overtale meg til å forlate deg og vende tilbake! For dit du går, vil jeg gå, og hvor du blir, vil jeg bli; ditt folk er mitt folk, og din Gud er min Gud;
OTB
Men Rut svarte: “Ikke tving meg til å forlate deg eller til å vende tilbake fra å følge deg. Hvor du går, vil jeg gå, og hvor du bor, vil jeg bo. Ditt folk skal være mitt folk, og din Gud min Gud.
B1930
Men Rut sa: Søk ikke å overtale mig til å forlate dig og vende tilbake! For dit du går, vil jeg gå, og hvor du blir, vil jeg bli; ditt folk er mitt folk, og din Gud er min Gud;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Samuel 15:21

    But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”

    Read in context
  • Ruth 2:11–12

    Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 2:2–6

    and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 45:10

    Listen, O daughter! Consider and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father’s house,

    Read in context
  • Matthew 8:19

    And one of the scribes came to Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

    Read in context
  • John 13:37

    “Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”

    Read in context
  • 1 Thessalonians 1:9

    For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 14:1

    For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

    Read in context