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Thursday, July 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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The NET Bible®

Ruth 1:16

But Ruth replied, "Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Converts;   Daughter-In-Law;   Decision;   Friendship;   Mother-In-Law;   Readings, Select;   Ruth;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Choice;   Choosing Jehovah;   Constancy;   Friendship;   Friendship-Friendlessness;   God;   Jehovah Chosen;   Notable Women;   Rose;   Ruth;   Social Duties;   Wise;   Women;   Young People;   Young Women, Godly;   Youthful Piety;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Decision;   Love to Man;   Proselytes;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mahlon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Israel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Marriage;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Ruth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Naomi;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem ;   1910 New Catholic Dictionary - book of ruth;   ruth, book of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Certain;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Intermarriage;   Proselyte;   Ruth Rabbah;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for July 31;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But Ruth replied:
Hebrew Names Version
Rut said, "Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
King James Version
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:
Lexham English Bible
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you! For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.
English Standard Version
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
New Century Version
But Ruth said, "Don't beg me to leave you or to stop following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Amplified Bible
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God.
New American Standard Bible
But Ruth said, "Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ruth answered, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, nor to depart from thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe: and where thou dwellest, I will dwell: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
Legacy Standard Bible
But Ruth said, "Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
Contemporary English Version
Ruth answered, "Please don't tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God.
Complete Jewish Bible
But Rut said, "Don't press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.
Darby Translation
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;
Easy-to-Read Version
But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you! Don't force me to go back to my own people. Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
George Lamsa Translation
And Ruth said to her, Far be it from me to return from following after you, and to leave you; for where you go, I will go; and where you dwell, I will dwell; your people shall be my people, and your God my God:
Good News Translation
But Ruth answered, "Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Literal Translation
And Ruth said, Do not entreat me to leave you, to turn back from following you. For where you go, I will go. And where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ruth answered: Speake not to me therof, that I shulde forsake the, and turne backe from the: whithersoeuer thou goest, thither wil I go also: and loke where thou abydest, there wil I abide also: Thy people is my people, & thy God is my God.
American Standard Version
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;
Bible in Basic English
But Ruth said, Give up requesting me to go away from you, or to go back without you: for where you go I will go; and where you take your rest I will take my rest; your people will be my people, and your God my God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ruth aunswered: Entreat me not to leaue thee, and to returne from after thee: for whyther thou goest, I will go also, & where thou dwellest, there I wil dwell: Thy people shalbe my people, and thy god my god:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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;
King James Version (1611)
And Ruth said, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, or to returne from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following thee; for whithersoever thou goest, I will go, and wheresoever thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
English Revised Version
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:
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche answeride, Be thou not `aduersarye to me, that Y forsake thee, and go awei; whidur euer thou schalt go, Y schal go, and where thou schalt dwelle, and Y schal dwelle togidere; thi puple is my puple, and thi God is my God;
Young's Literal Translation
And Ruth saith, `Urge me not to leave thee -- to turn back from after thee; for whither thou goest I go, and where thou lodgest I lodge; thy people [is] my people, and thy God my God.
Update Bible Version
And Ruth said, Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
Webster's Bible Translation
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, [or] to return from following 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:
World English Bible
Ruth said, "Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
New King James Version
But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.
New Living Translation
But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
New Life Bible
But Ruth said, "Do not beg me to leave you or turn away from following you. I will go where you go. I will live where you live. Your people will be my people. And your God will be my God.
New Revised Standard
But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Ruth said - Do not urge me to leave thee, to go back from following 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;
Douay-Rheims Bible
She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
Revised Standard Version
But Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
THE MESSAGE
But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God —not even death itself is going to come between us!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

Contextual Overview

6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops. 7 Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah, 8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother's home! May the Lord show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands and to me! 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband!" Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. 10 But they said to her, "No! We will return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi replied, "Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! 12 Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons, 13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! No, my daughters, you must not return with me. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. For the Lord is afflicting me!" 14 Again they wept loudly. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. 15 So Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ruth: A more perfect surrender of friendly feelings to a friend was never made. This was a most extraordinary and disinterested attachment.

Entreat me not: or, Be not against me

to leave: 2 Kings 2:2-6, Luke 24:28, Luke 24:29, Acts 21:13

whither: 2 Samuel 15:21, Matthew 8:19, John 13:37, Revelation 14:4

thy people: Ruth 2:11, Ruth 2:12, Psalms 45:10, Isaiah 14:1

thy God: Joshua 24:18, Daniel 2:47, Daniel 3:29, Daniel 4:37, Hosea 13:4, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

Reciprocal: Joshua 24:15 - choose Ruth 2:6 - It is the Ruth 4:15 - for thy 1 Kings 8:41 - a stranger 2 Kings 4:30 - I will not 1 Chronicles 12:18 - came upon Amasai 2 Chronicles 6:32 - the stranger Proverbs 17:17 - General Song of Solomon 6:1 - that Zechariah 8:23 - We will Matthew 1:5 - Booz John 1:38 - where 2 Corinthians 7:3 - to die

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so.
Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse "sky." There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
Genesis 1:9
God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear." It was so.
Genesis 1:12
The land produced vegetation—plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years,
Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly creation—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world.
Job 31:26
if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,
Job 38:7
when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Psalms 8:3
When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,
Psalms 19:6
It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other; nothing can escape its heat.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Ruth said, entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee,.... Do not make use of any arguments to persuade me to go back: or "do not meet me", or "be against me" h; do not meet me with objections, or be in my way, or an hinderance to me, in going along with thee; do not be against it, for to be against that was to be against her inclination, desires, and resolutions, and against her interest:

for whither thou goest I will go: let the country she was going to be what it would, though unknown to her, and though she should never see her own country any more:

and where thou lodgest I will lodge; though in ever so mean a cottage, or under the open air:

thy people shall be my people; whom I shall choose to dwell among, and converse with; whose religion, laws, and customs she should readily comply with, having heard much of them, their wisdom, goodness, and piety, of which she had a specimen and an example in Naomi, and by whom she judged of the rest:

and thy God my God; not Chemosh, nor Baalpeor, nor other gods of the Moabites, be they what they will, but Jehovah, the God of Naomi, and of the people of Israel. So a soul that is truly brought to Christ affectionately loves him, and heartily cleaves unto him, resolves in the strength of divine grace to follow him, the Lamb, whithersoever he goes or directs; and is desirous to have communion with none but him, and that he also would not be as a wayfaring man, that tarries but a night; his people are the excellent of the earth, whom to converse with is all his delight and pleasure; and Christ's God is his God, and his Father is his Father: and, in a word, he determines to have no other Saviour but him, and to walk in all his commands and ordinances.

h על תפגעי בי "ne occurras mihi", Vatablus, Rambachius; "ne obstes me", Tigurine version; "ne adverseris mihi", V. L. Drusius; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ruth 1:16. And Ruth said — A more perfect surrender was never made of friendly feelings to a friend: I will not leave thee - I will follow thee: I will lodge where thou lodgest - take the same fare with which thou meetest; thy people shall be my people - I most cheerfully abandon my own country, and determine to end my days in thine. I will also henceforth have no god but thy God, and be joined with thee in worship, as I am in affection and consanguinity. I will cleave unto thee even unto death; die where thou diest; and be buried, if possible, in the same grave. This was a most extraordinary attachment, and evidently without any secular motive.

The Targum adds several things to this conversation between Naomi and Ruth. I shall subjoin them: "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee," for I desire to become a proselyte. And Naomi said, We are commanded to keep the Sabbath and other holy days; and on it not to travel more than two thousand cubits. And Ruth said, "Whither thou goest, I will go." And Naomi said, We are commanded not to lodge with the Gentiles. Ruth answered, "Where thou lodgest, I will lodge." And Naomi said, We are commanded to observe the one hundred and thirteen precepts. Ruth answered, What thy people observe, that will I observe; as if they had been my people of old. And Naomi said, We are commanded not to worship with any strange worship. Ruth answered, "Thy God shall be my God." Naomi said, We have four kinds of capital punishment for criminals; stoning, burning, beheading, and hanging. Ruth answered, "In whatsoever manner thou diest, I will die." Naomi said, We have a house of burial. Ruth answered, "And there will I be buried."

It is very likely that some such conversation as this took place between the elders and those who were becoming proselytes. This verse is famous among those who strive to divine by the Bible. I should relate the particulars, but am afraid they might lead to a continuance of the practice. In my youth I have seen it done, and was then terrified.


 
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