Judges 13

1 And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, —so Yahweh delivered them up into the hand of the Philistines, forty years.

Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, and, his name, was Manoah; and, his wife, was barren, and had borne no child.

Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.

3 And the messenger of Yahweh appeared unto the woman, —and said unto her—Lo! I pray thee, thou, art barren, and hast borne no child, but thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son.

The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.

4 Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink, —nor eat anything unclean;

Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

5 for lo! thou, art about to conceive and bear a son, and no, razor, shall come on his head, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be from his birth, —and, he, shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

6 So the woman came in, and told her husband, saying, A man of God, came unto me, and, his, appearance, was as the appearance of the messenger of God, reverend exceedingly, —and I asked him not whence he was, and, his name, he told me not.

So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.

7 But he said unto me, Lo! thou art about to conceive, and bear a son, —now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be, from his birth until the day of his death.

But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”

8 Then Manoah made entreaty unto Yahweh, and said: Pardon, O My Lord! the man of God whom thou didst send, I pray thee, let him come again unto us, that he may teach us what we are to do, unto the boy that is to be born.

Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, let the man of God You sent us come to us again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born.”

9 And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah, —and the messenger of God came again unto the woman, as, she, was sitting in the field, Manoah her husband, not being with her.

And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God returned to the woman as she was sitting in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.

10 So the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, —and said unto him, Lo! the man, hath appeared unto me, who came the other day unto me.

The woman ran quickly to tell her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has reappeared!”

11 Then Manoah arose, and followed his wife, —and came unto the man, and said unto him—Art, thou, the man that spake unto the wife? And he said—I am.

So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” “I am,” he said.

12 And Manoah said, Now, let thy words come to pass, —What shall be the rule for the boy, and his work?

Then Manoah asked, “When your words come to pass, what will be the boy’s rule of life and mission?”

13 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah, —Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware.

So the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife is to do everything I told her.

14 Of nothing that cometh of the vine, may she eat, nor wine nor strong drink, let her drink, nor, anything unclean, let her eat, —all that I commanded her, let her observe.

She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”

15 And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh, —I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid.

“Please stay here,” Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”

16 But the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah—Though thou detain me, yet will I not eat of thy food, and, though thou make ready an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh, must thou cause it to ascend. For Manoah had not discerned that, the angel of Yahweh, he was.

And the angel of the LORD replied, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that it was the angel of the LORD.

17 Then said Manoah unto the messenger of Yahweh, What is thy name, —that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honour?

Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes to pass?”

18 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore is it, that thou shouldst ask after my name, —seeing that, it, is Wonderful?

“Why do you ask my name,” said the angel of the LORD, “since it is beyond comprehension?”

19 So Manoah took the kid, and the meal-offering, and caused them to ascend upon the rock unto Yahweh, who was about to do, wondrously, while Manoah and his wife were looking on.

Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.

20 And it came to pass, when the flame ascended from off the altar, towards the heavens, that the messenger of Yahweh ascended in the flame of the altar, —while Manoah and his wife were looking on. Then fell they on their faces, to the earth.

When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.

21 And the messenger of Yahweh did no more appear unto Manoah or unto his wife. Then, Manoah knew that, the messenger of Yahweh, he was.

And when the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it had been the angel of the LORD.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall, die, —for, upon God, have we looked.

“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”

23 But his wife said unto him, If Yahweh had been pleased to put us to death, he would not have received at our hand, an ascending-sacrifice and a meal-offering, nor would he have shewed us all these things, —and, at such a time, have let us hear the like of this!

But his wife replied, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things or spoken to us this way.”

24 So the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson, —and the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.

25 And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan, —between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.