Judges 14
1 And Samson went down to Timnath, —and saw a woman in Timnath, 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 So he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said—A woman, have I seen in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines, —now, therefore, 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 his mother said to him—Is there not, among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, a woman, that thou art going away to take a woman from among the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson said unto his father—Take, her, for me, for, she, is pleasant in mine 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 father and his mother, knew not, that, from Yahweh, it was, that, an occasion, he was seeking of the Philistines, —at that time, the Philistines having 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 So Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, —and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnath, when lo! a young lion, roaring to meet him.
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 Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he tore it in pieces as if he had torn in pieces a kid, there being, nothing at all, in his hand, —but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
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 So he went down, and spake unto the woman, —and she was pleasant in the eyes of Samson.
And he goes down and speaks to the woman, and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
8 And he returned, after a time, to take her, and went aside to see the carcass of the lion, —and lo! a swarm of bees, in the body of the lion, and, honey,
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 which he took into his hands, and went on—eating as he went, and came unto his father and unto his mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat, —but he told them not that, out of the carcass of the lion, he had taken the honey.
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 And his father went down unto the woman, —and Samson made there a banquet, for, so, used the young men, to do.
And his father goes down to the woman, and Samson makes a banquet there, for so the young men does;
11 And it came to pass, because they feared him, that they took thirty companions, who remained 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 unto them, I pray you let me put you forth a riddle, —if ye, tell, it me, within the seven days of the banquet, and find it out, then will I give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of raiment;
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 ye cannot tell me, then shall, ye, give me thirty linen wraps, and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy 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 food, And, out of the strong, came forth sweetness. But they could not tell the riddle, in three days.
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 it came to pass, on the fourth day, that they said to Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father, with fire. Was it not, to impoverish us, that ye invited us—was it not?
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 And the wife of Samson wept upon him, and said—Thou dost, altogether hate me, and dost not love me, a riddle, hast thou put forth to the sons of my people, and, unto me, thou hast not told it! And he said to her, Lo! to my own father and mother, have I not told it, and, to thee, shall I tell it?
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 upon him the seven days, —while their banquet lasted, —and it came to pass, on the seventh day, that he told her, because she urged him, and she told the riddle unto the sons of her people.
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 the men of the city said to him, on the seventh day—ere yet the sun went in, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, Ye 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 Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote of them thirty men, and took their garments, and gave the changes [of raiment] to them who had told the riddle, —and his anger was kindled, and 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 And the wife of Samson was given unto his companion who had served him as his friend.
and Samson’s wife becomes his companion’s, who had attended to him.
