File:Ruth and Naomi.jpg

Summary
Ruth's Wise Choice Ruth 1:14-22 Golden Text: Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Ruth 1:16

Ruth 1:14-19

1:14. They raised their voices, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, and returned; Ruth stuck close to her mother-in-law.

1:15. Naomi said to her, “Behold your kinswoman has returned to her people and her gods; go with her.”

To her gods, etc. . .Naomi did not mean to persuade Ruth to return to the false gods she had formerly worshipped: but by this manner of speech, insinuated to her, that if she would go with her, she must renounce her false gods and return to the Lord the God of Israel.

'''1:16. She answered, “Be not against me, to desire that I should leave you and depart: for wherever you shall go, I will go: and where you shall dwell, I also will dwell. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.'''

'''1:17. The land that shall receive you dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if nothing other than death separate me and you.”'''

The Lord do so and so, etc. . .A form of swearing usual in the history of the Old Testament, by which the person wished such and such evils to fall upon them, if they did not do what they said.

1:18. Then Naomi seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends:

'''1:19. So they went together, and came to Bethlehem. When they came into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said, “This is that Naomi.”'''

Providence Lithograph Company Date: 1907