< Judges 14 >
1 And he went down Samson Timnah towards and he saw a woman in Timnah one of [the] daughters of [the] Philistines.
One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
2 And he went up and he told to father his and to mother his and he said a woman I have seen in Timnah one of [the] daughters of [the] Philistines and now get her for me to a wife.
When he returned home, he told his mother and father, “I saw a young Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want you to get her for me so I can marry her.”
3 And he said to him father his and mother his ¿ [is] there not among [the] daughters of brothers your and among all people my a woman that you [are] going to take a wife from [the] Philistines uncircumcised and he said Samson to father his her get for me for she she is pleasing in view my.
His mother and father objected very strongly. They said, “Is there no woman from our tribe, or from the other Israeli tribes, that you could marry? Why must you go to the heathen Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She is the one I want!”
4 And father his and mother his not they knew that [was] from Yahweh it for an occasion he [was] seeking from [the] Philistines and at the time that [the] Philistines [were] ruling over Israel.
His mother and father did not realize that Yahweh was arranging this. He was preparing a way for [Samson to defeat] the Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at that time.
5 And he went down Samson and father his and mother his Timnah towards and they came to [the] vineyards of Timnah and there! a young lion of lions [was] roaring to meet him.
So, as Samson was going down to Timnah, followed by his mother and father, a young lion attacked Samson near the vineyards close to Timnah.
6 And it rushed on him [the] spirit of Yahweh and he tore apart it as tears apart kid and [was] anything there not in hand his and not he told to father his and to mother his [that] which he had done.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit came upon Samson powerfully, with the result that he tore the lion apart with his hands. He did it [as easily] as if it were a young goat. But he did not tell his mother and father about it.
7 And he went down and he spoke to the woman and she was pleasing in [the] eyes of Samson.
When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much. [And his father made arrangements for the wedding].
8 And he returned from days to take her and he turned aside to see [the] carcass of the lion and there! a swarm of bees [was] in [the] carcass of the lion and honey.
Later, when Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to see the carcass of the lion. He discovered that [after other creatures had eaten all the flesh], a swarm of bees [had made a hive in the skeleton and] had made some honey.
9 And he scraped out it into palms his and he went continuously and eating and he came to father his and to mother his and he gave to them and they ate and not he told to them that from [the] carcass of the lion he had scraped out the honey.
So he scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate some of it as he was walking along. He also gave some of it to his mother and father, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the skeleton of the lion, [because anyone dedicated to God was not to touch any corpse].
10 And he went down father his to the woman and he prepared there Samson a feast for thus they did the young men.
As his father was making the final arrangements for the marriage, Samson gave a party [for the young men in that area]. That was the custom for men to do when they were about to be married.
11 And it was when saw they him and they took thirty companions and they were with him.
Thirty young man were invited to the party.
12 And he said to them Samson let me ask a riddle please to you a riddle certainly [if] you will tell it to me [the] seven [the] days of the feast and you will find [it] out and I will give to you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of garments.
Samson said to them, “Allow me to tell you a riddle. If you tel me the meaning of my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give each of you a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.
13 And if not you will be able to tell to me and you will give you to me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of garments and they said to him ask [the] riddle! riddle your so we may hear it.
But if you cannot tell me the meaning, you must each give me a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.” They replied, “All right. Tell us your riddle.”
14 And he said to them from the eater it came out food and from a strong [one] it came out a sweet [thing] and not they were able to tell the riddle three days.
So he said, “From the thing that eats came something to eat; out of something strong came something sweet.” But for three days they could not tell him the meaning of the riddle.
15 And it was - on the day seventh and they said to [the] wife of Samson entice husband your so may he tell to us the riddle lest we should burn you and [the] house of father your with fire ¿ to impoverish us did you invite us ¿ [is it] not [so].
On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s bride, “Ask your husband to tell you the meaning of the riddle. If you do not do that, we will burn down your father’s house, with you inside it! Did you invite us here only to make us poor [by forcing us to buy a lot of clothes for your husband]?”
16 And she wept [the] wife of Samson over him and she said only you hate me and not you love me the riddle you have asked [the] riddle to [the] sons of people my and to me not you have told and he said to her here! to father my and to mother my not I have told and to [why] you will I tell?
So Samson’s wife came to him, crying, and said to him, “You do not really love me. You hate me! You have told a riddle to my friends, but you have not told me the meaning of the riddle!” He replied, “I have not told the meaning of the riddle even to my mother and father, so why should I tell it to you?”
17 And she wept over him [the] seven the days which it belonged to them the feast and it was - on the day seventh and he told to her for she pressed him and she told the riddle to [the] sons of people her.
She continued to cry every time she was with him, all during the rest of the celebration. Finally, on the seventh day, because she continued to nag him, he told her the meaning of the riddle. Then she told it to the young men.
18 And they said to him [the] men of the city on the day seventh before it went the sun what? [is] sweet more than honey and what? [is] strong more than a lion and he said to them if not you had plowed with heifer my not you found out riddle my.
So, before sunset on the seventh day, the young men came to Samson and said to him, “What/Nothing is sweeter than honey [RHQ]. What/Nothing is stronger than a lion [RHQ]!” Samson replied, “[You should not force a heifer to] plow a field [MET]. Similarly, if you had not forced my bride to ask me about the riddle [MET], you would not have known the answer to my riddle!”
19 And it rushed on him [the] spirit of Yahweh and he went down Ashkelon and he struck down of them - thirty man and he took spoils their and he gave the changes to [those who] told the riddle and it burned anger his and he went up [the] house of father his.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit powerfully took control of Samson. He went down to [the coast at] Ashkelon [town], and killed 30 men. He took their clothes [and went back to Timnah] and gave them to the men who had told him the meaning of the riddle. But he was very angry about what had happened, so he went back home to live with his mother and father.
20 And she belonged [the] wife of Samson to companion his who he was a special friend to him.
So (Samson’s wife was given/the bride’s father gave Samson’s wife) to the man who who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding, [but Samson did not know that].