1
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
2
When he returned, he said to hs 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 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 m it to my father e 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.
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.)
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.
*18
"If you had not plowed with my heifer" means "If you hadn't manipulated my wife."
If they hadn't threatened his wife, they wouldn't have learned the answer to his 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.