- 1
- Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
- 2
- When he returned, he said to his father and mother,
- "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."
- 3
- His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman
- among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to
- the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?"
- But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me."
- 4
- (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD,
- who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines;
- for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
- 5
- Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother.
- As they approached the vineyards of Timnah,
- suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.
- 6
- The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power
- so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as
- he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father
- nor his mother what he had done.
- 7
- Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.
- 8
- Some time later, when he went back to marry her,
- he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass.
- In it was a swarm of bees and some honey,
- 9
- which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along.
- When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it.
- But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass.
- 10
- Now his father went down to see the woman.
- And Samson made a feast there, as was customary for bridegrooms.
- 11
- When he appeared, he was given thirty companions.
- 12
- "Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them.
- "If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast,
- I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
- 13
- If you can't tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments
- and thirty sets of clothes." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."
- 14
- He replied, "Out of the eater, something to eat;
- out of the strong, something sweet."
- For three days they could not give the answer.
- 15
- On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife,
- "Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us,
- or we will burn you and your father's household to death.
- Did you invite us here to rob us?"
- 16
- Then Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing,
- "You hate me! You don't really love me. You've given my people a riddle,
- but you haven't told me the answer."
- "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother," he replied,
- "so why should I explain it to you?"
- 17
- She cried the whole seven days of the feast.
- So on the seventh day he finally told her,
- because she continued to press him.
- She in turn explained the riddle to her people.
- 18
- Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,
- "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?"
- Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer,
- you would not have solved my riddle."
- 19
- Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power.
- He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men,
- stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those
- who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,
- he went up to his father's house.
- 20
- And Samson's wife was given to the friend
- who had attended him at his wedding.