Judges 14
1 Then Samson went down to Thamnatlia, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines,
Therfor Sampson yede doun in to Thannatha, and he siy there a womman of `the douytris of Filisteis;
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 he stiede, and telde to his fadir and `to his modir, and seide, Y siy a womman in Thannatha of the `douytris of Filistees, and Y biseche, that ye take hir a wijf to me.
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.
To whom his fadir and modir seiden, Whether no womman is among the douytris of thi britheren and in al my puple, for thou wolt take a wijf of Filisteis, that ben vncircumcidid? And Sampson seide to his fadir, Take thou this wijf to me, for sche pleside myn iyen.
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.
Forsothe his fadir and modir wisten not, that the thing was don of the Lord; and that he souyte occasiouns ayens Filisteis; for in that tyme Filisteis weren lordis of Israel.
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.
Therfor Sampson yede doun with his fadir and modir in to Thannatha; and whanne thei hadden come to the vyneris of the citee, a fers and rorynge `whelp of a lioun apperide, and ran to Sampson.
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.
Forsothe the spirit of the Lord felde in to Sampson, and he to-rente the lioun, as if he `to-rendide a kide `in to gobetis, and outerli he hadde no thing in the hond; and he nolde schewe this to the fadir and modir.
7 And he went down and spoke to the woman that had pleased his eyes.
And he yede doun, and spak to the womman, that pleside hise iyen.
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 aftir summe daies he turnede ayen to take hir `in to matrimonye; and he `bowide awey to se the `careyn of the lioun; and lo! a gaderyng of bees was in the `mouth of the lioun, and `a coomb of hony.
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 whanne he hadde take it in hondis, he eet in the weie; and he cam to his fadir and modir, and yaf part `to hem, and thei eeten; netheles he nolde schewe to hem, that he hadde take hony of the `mouth of the lioun.
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 so his fadir yede doun to the womman, and made a feeste to his sone Sampson; for yonge men weren wont to do so.
11 And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him thirty companions to be with him.
Therfor whanne the citeseyns of that place hadden seyn hym, thei yauen to hym thretti felowis, whiche schulen be with hym.
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:
To whiche Sampson spak, Y schal putte forth to you a probleme, `that is, a douyteful word and priuy, and if ye `asoilen it to me with ynne seuen daies of the feeste, Y schal yyue to you thretti lynnun clothis, and cootis `of the same noumbre; sotheli if ye moun not soyle,
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.
ye schulen yyue to me thretti lynnun clothis, and cootis `of the same noumbre. Whiche answeriden to hym, Sette forth the probleme, that we here 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 seide to hem, Mete yede out of the etere, and swetnesse yede out of the stronge. And bi thre daies thei myyten not assoile the `proposicioun, that is, the resoun set forth.
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 whanne the seuenthe dai cam, thei seiden to `the wijf of Sampson, Glose thin hosebonde, and counseile hym, that he schewe to thee what the probleme signyfieth. That if thou nylt do, we schulen brenne thee and `the hous of thi fadir. Whether herfor ye clepiden vs to weddyngis, that ye schulden robbe vs?
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 sche schedde teerys at Sampson, and pleynede, and seide, Thou hatist me, and louest not, therfor thou nylt expowne to me the probleme, which thou settidist forth to the sones of my puple. And he answeride, Y nolde seie to my fadir and modir, and schal Y mow schewe to thee?
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.
Therfor bi seuene dayes of the feest sche wepte at hym; at the laste `he expownede in the seuenthe dai, whanne sche was diseseful to hym. And anoon sche telde to hir citeseyns.
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 thei seiden to hym in the seuenthe dai bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, What is swettere than hony, and what is strengere than a lioun? And he seide to hem, If ye hadden not erid in my cow calf, `that is, my wijf, ye hadden not founde my proposicioun.
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:
Therfor the spirit of the Lord felde in to hym; and he yede doun to Ascalon, and killyde there thretti men, whose clothis he took awey, and he yaf to hem that soiliden the probleme; and he was ful wrooth, and stiede in to `the hows of his fadir.
20 But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for her husband.
Forsothe his wijf took an hosebonde, oon of the frendis and keperis `of hir.
