Judges 14
1 Then Samson went down to Thamnatlia, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines,
And Samson goes down to Timnath, and sees a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines,
2 He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I beseech you, take her for me to wife.
and comes up and declares [it] to his father and to his mother, and says, “I have seen a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; and now, take her for me for a wife.”
3 And his father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou wilt take a wife of the Philistines, who are uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father: Take this woman for me, for she hath pleased my eyes.
And his father says to him—also his mother, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers, and among all my people, that you are going to take a woman from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson says to his father, “Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
4 Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
And his father and his mother have not known that it [is] from YHWH, that He is seeking a meeting of the Philistines; and the Philistines are ruling over Israel at that time.
5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Thamnatha. And when they were come to the vineyards of the town, behold a young lion met him raging and roaring.
And Samson goes down—also his father and his mother, to Timnath, and they come to the vineyards of Timnath, and behold, a lion’s whelp roars at meeting him,
6 And the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid in pieces, having nothing at all in his hand: and he would not tell this to his father and mother.
and the Spirit of YHWH prospers over him, and he tears it as the tearing of a kid, and there is nothing in his hand, and he has not declared to his father and to his mother that which he has done.
7 And he went down and spoke to the woman that had pleased his eyes.
And he goes down and speaks to the woman, and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
8 And after some days returning to take her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion and a honeycomb.
and he turns back after [some] days to take her, and turns aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees [are] in the body of the lion—and honey.
9 And when be had taken it in his hands, he went on eating: and coming to his father and mother, he gave them of it, and they ate: but he would not tell them, that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.
And he takes it down on to his hands, and goes on, going and eating; and he goes to his father, and to his mother, and gives to them, and they eat, and he has not declared to them that he took down the honey from the body of the lion.
10 So his father went down to the woman, and made a feast for his son Samson: for so the young men used to do.
And his father goes down to the woman, and Samson makes a banquet there, for so the young men does;
11 And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him thirty companions to be with him.
and it comes to pass, when they see him, that they take thirty companions, and they are with him.
12 And Samson said to them: I will propose to you a riddle, which if you declare unto me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty shirts, and as many coats:
And Samson says to them, “Now let me put forth a riddle to you; if you certainly declare it to me [in] the seven days of the banquet, and have found [it] out, then I have given thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of garments to you;
13 But if you shall not be able to declare it, you shall give me thirty shirts and the same number of coats. They answered him: Put forth the riddle that we may hear it.
and if you are not able to declare [it] to me, then you have given thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of garments to me.” And they say to him, “Put forth your riddle, and we hear it!”
14 And he said to 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.
And he says to them: “Out of the eater came forth something to eat, And out of the strong came forth [something] sweet”; and they were not able to declare the riddle [in] three days.
15 And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson: Soothe thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy father’s house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip us?
And it comes to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he declare the riddle to us, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire; have you not called for us [here] to rob us?”
16 So she wept before Samson and complained, saying: Thou hatest me, and dost not love me: therefore thou wilt not expound to me the riddle which thou hast proposed to the sons of my people. But he answered: I would not tell it to my father and mother, and how can I tell it to thee?
And Samson’s wife weeps for it and says, “You have only hated me, and have not loved me; you have put forth the riddle to the sons of my people, but have not declared it to me”; and he says to her, “Behold, I have not declared [it] to my father and to my mother—and I declare [it] to you?”
17 So she wept before him the seven days of the feast: and at length on the seventh day as she was troublesome to him, he expounded it. And she immediately told her countrymen.
And she weeps for it the seven days [in] which their banquet has been, and it comes to pass on the seventh day that he declares [it] to her, for she has distressed him; and she declares the riddle to the sons of her people.
18 And they on the seventh day before the sun went down said to him: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not found out my riddle.
And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goes in: “What [is] sweeter than honey? And what [is] stronger than a lion?” And he says to them: “Unless you had plowed with my heifer, You had not found out my riddle.”
19 And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and slew there thirty men, whose garments he took away and gave to them that had declared the riddle. And being exceeding angry he went up to his father’s house:
And the Spirit of YHWH prospers over him, and he goes down to Ashkelon, and strikes down thirty of their men, and takes their armor, and gives the changes to those declaring the riddle; and his anger burns, and he goes up to the house of his father;
20 But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for her husband.
and Samson’s wife becomes his companion’s, who had attended to him.
