would be trouble when you married that Israelite. Now stay in Moab; stick to your family … worship our gods … and for goodness’ sake, marry a nice Moabite man!” We’ve read this story so often that we’ve forgotten what Ruth is giving up. She’s already lost her husband. Now she’s turning her back on her citizenship, her country, her family, her religion, and her security. She is literally giving away her future. One author put it this way: Ruth possesses nothing. No deity has promised her blessing;