Scripture Verse

Entreat 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: thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. Ruth 1:16–17

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Bright­est and Best, by Ro­bert Low­ry & W. How­ard Doane (New York: Big­low & Main, 1875), num­ber 120.

Music: Ro­bert Low­ry (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Entreat me not to leave thee,
My heart goes with thee now;
Why turn my foot­steps home­ward?
No friend so dear as thou!
Thy heart has borne my sor­row,
And I have wept for thine;
And now how can I leave thee?
Oh, let thy lot be mine.

Refrain

Entreat me not to leave thee,
Entreat me not to leave thee,
Or to re­turn from fol­low­ing af­ter thee;
For where thou go­est I will go,
And where thou lodg­est I will lodge;
Thy peo­ple shall be my peo­ple,
And thy God my God,
Thy peo­ple shall be my peo­ple,
And thy God my God.

I’ll fol­low where thou lead­est;
My love will cling to thee;
And where thy head is pil­lowed,
My night­ly rest shall be;
Thy birth­place and thy kin­dred
I’ll cher­ish like my own;
Thy God shall be my re­fuge,
I’ll wor­ship at His throne.

Refrain

Where death’s cold hand shall find thee,
There let my eye­lids close,
And, in the grave be­side thee,
This mor­tal frame re­pose:
Oh, do not now en­treat me;
No friend so dear as thou;
My heart would break in ang­uish
If I should leave thee now.

Refrain

illustration
Ruth Clings to Naomi
Philip H. Calderon
(1833–1898)