Ruth 1:19 (ASV)

Passage

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and [the women] said, Is this Naomi?

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

Ruth 1:18 And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

Ruth 1:19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and [the women] said, Is this Naomi?

Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "went", "until", "came", "bethlehem", "pass", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "went" and "until", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And when she saw that she was..." into verse 20's "And she said unto them Call me...", so "went" and "until" belong inside that flow. In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "went" and "until" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.