< 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.
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines 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 certain man of Saraa, and of the race of Dan, whose name was Manue, and his wife was barren.
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.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to her, and said: Thou art barren and without children: but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.
4 Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink, —nor eat anything unclean;
Now therefore beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing.
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.
Because thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall touch his head: for he shall be a Nazarite of God, from his infancy, and from his mother’s womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands 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.
And when she was come to her husband she said to him: A man of God came to me, having the countenance of an angel, very awful. And when I asked him who he was, and whence he came, and by what name he was called, he would not tell me.
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 answered thus: Behold thou shalt conceive and bear a son: beware thou drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from his infancy, from his mother’s 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 Manue prayed to the Lord, and said: I beseech thee, O Lord, that the mail of God, whom thou didst send, may come again, and teach us what we ought to do concerning the child that shall 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 the Lord heard the prayer of Manue, and the angel of the Lord appeared again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But Manue her husband was not with her. And when she saw the angel,
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.
She made haste and ran to her husband: and told him saying: Behold the man hath appeared to me whom I saw before.
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.
He rose up and followed his wife: and coming to the man, said to him: Art thou he that spoke to the woman? And he answered: I am.
12 And Manoah said, Now, let thy words come to pass, —What shall be the rule for the boy, and his work?
And Manue said to him: When thy word shall come to pass, what wilt thou that the child should do? or from what shall he keep himself?
13 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah, —Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware.
And the angel of the Lord said to Manue: From all the things I have spoken of to thy wife, let her refrain herself:
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.
And let her eat nothing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: and whatsoever I have commanded her, let her fulfill and observe.
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.
And Manue said to the angel of the Lord: I beseech thee to consent to my request, and let us dress a kid for thee.
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 answered him: If thou press me, I will not eat of thy bread: but if thou wilt offer a holocaust, offer it to the Lord. And Manue knew not 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?
And he said to him: What is thy name, that, if thy word shall come to pass, we may honour thee?
18 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore is it, that thou shouldst ask after my name, —seeing that, it, is Wonderful?
And he answered him: Why askest thou my name, which is wonderful?
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 Manue took a kid of the flocks, and the libations, and put them upon a rock, offering to the Lord, who doth wonderful things: and he and his wife looked on.
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.
And when the flame from the altar went up towards heaven, the angel of the lord ascended also in the flame. And when Manue and his wife saw this, they fell flat on 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 the angel of the Lord appeared to them no more. And forthwith Manue understood that it was an angel of the Lord,
22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall, die, —for, upon God, have we looked.
And he said to his wife: We shall certainly die, because 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!
And his wife answered him: If the Lord had a mind to kill us, he would not have received a holocaust and libations at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor have told us the things that are to come.
24 So the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson, —and the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
And she bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child 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 be with him in the camp of Dan, between Saraa and Esthaol.

< Judges 13 >