The Canticle of Ruth (Ruth 1:15-1:18)

“So she said. ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Return after your sister-in-law. 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.

Your God shall be my God.

Where you die, I will die.

There will I be buried.

May Yahweh do thus and so to me.

May he do more as well.

Even if death parts me from you’

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.”

This is the beautiful poetic words of Ruth, ‘Whither you go, so shall I…’ Although it sounds like a lovely marriage vow, it is really a daughter-in-law showing her love for her mother-in-law. Now Ruth was not allowed in the cult of Yahweh because she was a Moabite, as per Deuteronomy, chapter 23.