Ruth 1:16 (KJV)

Passage

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:

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Ruth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

Ruth 1:16 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:

Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Ruth 1:18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ruth", "said", "intreat", "leave", "thee", "return", "following", and "after". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ruth" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And she said Behold thy sister in..." into verse 17's "Where thou diest will I die and...", so "ruth" and "said" 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 "ruth" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.