Judges 14
1 One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
Gbe ɖeka la, Samson yi Timna eye wòkpɔ Filisti ɖetugbi aɖe.
2 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.”
Esi wòtrɔ gbɔ la, egblɔ na fofoa kple dadaa bena yedi be yeaɖee.
3 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!”
Dzilawo melɔ̃ ɖe edzi nɛ kura o, wobiae be, “Nu ka ta màɖe Yuda ɖetugbi aɖeke o? Nu ka ta nàɖe srɔ̃ tso Filistitɔ, ame siwo nye trɔ̃subɔlawo dome? Nyɔnuvi aɖeke mele Israelviwo dome nàte ŋu aɖe oa?” Ke Samson gblɔ na fofoa be, “Eya koe nye ame si medi be maɖe. Ɖee nam.”
4 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.
Fofoa kple dadaa medze sii be Mawue nɔ mɔ trem na Filistitɔwo, ame siwo nye Israel dziɖulawo le ɣe ma ɣi o.
5 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.
Gbe ɖeka esi Samson kple edzilawo yina Timna la, dzatavi aɖe nɔ gbe tem helũ ɖe Samson dzi le waingble aɖe me le dua gbɔ lɔƒo.
6 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.
Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ va edzi eye esi lãnu aɖeke menɔ esi o la, etsɔ asi ƒuƒlu fe dzata la ƒe glã bɔbɔe abe gbɔ̃vi aɖe tɔ ene! Ke Samson megblɔ nya aɖeke tso nu sia ŋuti na dzilawo o.
7 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].
Esi woɖo Timna la, eƒo nu kple ɖetugbi la eye wòkpɔ be eya tututu dim yele. Ale wowɔ srɔ̃ɖeɖe la ŋu ɖoɖowo.
8 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.
Esi Samson trɔ tso Timna gbɔna la, edze yi gbe me be yeakpɔ dzata kuku la ɖa. Kasia ekpɔ anyiwo kple anyitsi le eme.
9 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].
Eɖe anyitsi la, ɖu ɖe le mɔa dzi eye wòna ɖe fofoa kple dadaa gake megblɔ na wo be dzata ƒe dɔ me ye yekpɔe tsoe o.
10 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.
Azɔ la, esi fofoa yi be yeakpɔ nyɔnu la la, Samson ɖo kplɔ̃ le afi ma abe ale si ɖekakpuiviwo wɔna ene.
11 Thirty young man were invited to the party.
Esi Samson va ɖo la, wotsɔ ɖekakpui blaetɔ̃ kpe ɖe eŋu.
12 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.
Samson gblɔ na wo be, “Mina mato adzo na mi. Ne miete ŋu ɖe egɔme nam le azãɖuɖua ƒe ŋkeke adreawo me la, matsɔ aklala biɖibiɖiwu blaetɔ̃ kple atsyɔ̃ɖowu blaetɔ̃ na mi.
13 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.”
Ke ne miete ŋu ɖe egɔme o la, ekema miawo hã miatsɔ aklala biɖibiɖi ƒe awu blaetɔ̃ kple atsyɔ̃ɖowu blaetɔ̃ nam.” Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “To wò adzo la na mí, na míase wò adzo la.”
14 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.
Adzo si wòto lae nye, “Nuɖuɖu do tso nuɖula me eye nu vivi do tso nu sesẽ me!” Ŋkeke etɔ̃ va yi, womete ŋu ɖe adzo la gɔme o.
15 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]?”
Le ŋkeke enea gbe la, wogblɔ na Samson srɔ̃ be, “Ble srɔ̃wò nu ne wòaɖe adzo la gɔme na mí. Ne menye nenema o la, míatɔ dzo wò kple fofowò ƒe aƒekɔ la miaku. Ɖe miekpe mí va afi siae be miada adzo mía?”
16 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?”
Tete Samson srɔ̃ tsɔ eɖokui ƒu Samson dzi, nɔ hehe ɖom be, “Èlé fum! Mèlɔ̃m kura o. Èto adzo na nye amewo gake mèɖe egɔme nam o.” Samson ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Nyemeɖe egɔme na fofonye alo danye gɔ̃ hã o. Nu ka tae maɖe egɔme na wò ya?”
17 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.
Nyɔnu la fa avi le azãɖuɖu ƒe ŋkeke adreawo katã me. Ale le ŋkeke adrea gbe la, egblɔe nɛ mlɔeba elabena nyɔnu la nɔ fu ɖem nɛ akpa. Ale nyɔnu la yi ɖagblɔ adzo la ƒe gɔmeɖeɖe na wo detɔwo.
18 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!”
Ale hafi ɣe naɖo to le ŋkeke adrea gbe la, ɖekapuiawo ɖe adzo la gɔme na Samson be, “Nu kae vivina wu anyitsi eye nu kae sesẽ wu dzata?” Samson gblɔ na wo be, “Ne menye nye ŋutɔ nye nyivie mietsɔ ŋlɔ agblea o la, anye ne miete ŋu nya nye adzo la ƒe gɔmeɖeɖe o.”
19 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.
Tete Aƒetɔ la ƒe Gbɔgbɔ va Samson dzi kple ŋusẽ, eyi Askelon du la me, wu ŋutsu blaetɔ̃, ɖe woƒe awuwo eye wòtsɔ wo na ɖekakpui siwo ɖe adzo la gɔme. Ke dɔ me vee eya ta wògblẽ srɔ̃a ɖi eye wòdzo yi fofoa ƒe aƒe me.
20 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].
Ale wotsɔ Samson srɔ̃ na ŋutsu si nɔ Samson ŋu le esime wòlé alɔ kple srɔ̃a.
