Judges 14
1 And Samson goes down to Timnath, and sees a woman in Timnath 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 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.”
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 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.”
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 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.
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 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,
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 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.
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 goes down and speaks to the woman, and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
And he yede doun, and spak to the womman, that pleside hise iyen.
8 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.
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 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.
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 And his father goes down to the woman, and Samson makes a banquet there, for so the young men does;
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 it comes to pass, when they see him, that they take thirty companions, and they are 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 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;
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 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!”
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 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.
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 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?”
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 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?”
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 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.
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 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.”
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 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;
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 and Samson’s wife becomes his companion’s, who had attended to him.
Forsothe his wijf took an hosebonde, oon of the frendis and keperis `of hir.
