Read in context: Ruth chapter 1 (full chapter) · King James Version (public domain)
Ruth 1:16 — Bible (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:” — read online, free, in the King James Version.
“Whither thou goest, I will go” — Ruth's vow to her mother-in-law Naomi, a definition of loyalty.
Also read in the Tanakh (JPS 1917): Ruth 1:16 → · Why do two versions of this verse exist?
Frequently asked questions
What does Ruth 1:16 mean?
The Moabite Ruth refuses to leave her widowed Israelite mother-in-law, choosing Naomi's people and God as her own. Her loyalty makes her the great-grandmother of King David — and an ancestress of Jesus in Christian genealogy.
What Bible translation is this?
This is the King James Version (1611) — the classic English translation, in the public domain and free to read and quote.
Where can I read this verse in full context?
The complete text is free to read at fourfaiths.com/bible/ruth/1/ — no account, no download, with every chapter of the Bible.
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