14:1 And Sampson went down to Thamnatha, and
saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2 And he went up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have
seen a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Phylistines; and now take
her to me for a wife.
14:3 And his father and his mother said to him, Are there no daughters of
thy brethren, and [is there not] a woman of all my people, that thou goest
to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Sampson said to his
father, Take her for me, for she [is] right in my eyes.
14:4 And his father and his mother knew not that it was of Yehovah, that he
sought to be revenged on the Philistines: and at that time the Philistines
lorded it over Israel.
14:5 And Sampson and his father and his mother went down to Thamnatha, and
he came to the vineyard of Thamnatha; and behold, a young lion roared in
meeting him.
14:6 And the spirit of Yehovah came powerfully upon him, and he crushed him
as he would have crushed a kid of the goats, and there was nothing in his
hands: and he told not his father and his mother what he had done.
14:7 And they went down and spoke to the woman, and she was pleasing in the
eyes of Sampson.
14:8 And after some time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see
the carcase of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees, and honey [were] in
the mouth of the lion.
14:9 And he took it into his hands, and went on eating, and he went to his
father and his mother, and gave to them, and they did eat; but he told them
not that he took the honey out of the mouth of the lion.
14:10 And his father went down to the woman, and Sampson made there a
banquet for seven days, for so the young men are used to do.
14:11 And it came to pass when they saw him, that they took thirty guests,
and they were with him.
14:12 And Sampson said to them, I propound you a riddle: if ye will indeed
tell it me, and discover it within the seven days of the feast, I will you
give thirty sheets and thirty changes of raiment.
14:13 And if ye cannot tell it me, ye shall give me thirty napkins and
thirty changes of apparel: and they said to him, Propound thy riddle, and we
will hear it.
14:14 And he said to them, Meat came forth of the eater, and sweetness out
of the strong: and they could not tell the riddle for three days.
14:15 And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they said to the wife of
Sampson, Deceive now thy husband, and let him tell thee the riddle, lest we
burn thee and thy father's house with fire: did ye invite us to do us
violence?
14:16 And Sampson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me,
and lovest me not; for the riddle which thou hast propounded to the children
of my people thou hast not told me: and Sampson said to her, If I have not
told it to my father and my mother, shall I tell it to thee?
14:17 And she wept before him the seven days, during which their banquet
lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because
she troubled him; and she told it to the children of her people.
14:18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before
sunrise, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion?
and Sampson said to them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye would
not have known my riddle.
14:19 And the Spirit of Yehovah came upon him powerfully, and he went down
to Ascalon, and destroyed of the inhabitants thirty men, and took their
garments, and gave the changes of raiment to them that told the riddle; and
Sampson was very angry, and went up to the house of his father.
14:20 And the wife of Sampson was [given] to one of his friends, with whom
he was on terms of friendship. |
14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and
saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have
seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore
get her for me to wife.
14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman
among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest
to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his
father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Yehovah, that he
sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines
had dominion over Israel.
14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and
came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against
him.
14:6 And the Spirit of Yehovah came mightily upon him, and he rent him as
he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not
his father or his mother what he had done.
14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson
well.
14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see
the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in
the carcass of the lion.
14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his
father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them
that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
14:10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast;
for so used the young men to do.
14:11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty
companions to be with him.
14:12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if
ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find
it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
14:13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets
and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle,
that we may hear it.
14:14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of
the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound
the riddle.
14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's
wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we
burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that
we have? is it not so?
14:16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me,
and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my
people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not
told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
14:17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and
it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore
upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the
sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?
and he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found
out my riddle.
14:19 And the Spirit of Yehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon,
and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of
garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled,
and he went up to his father's house.
14:20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his
friend. |