Judges 14
1 One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
Da bi a na Samson wɔ Timna no, ohuu Filistini ababaa bi.
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.”
Ɔsan kɔɔ fie no, ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼagya ne ne na se, “Mahu Filistini ababaa bi wɔ Timna a mepɛ sɛ meware no.”
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!”
Nʼagya ne ne na ampene so kaa no anibere so se, “Enti yɛn abusua yi mu anaa Israelfo yi mu, ɔbea baako mpo nni mu a wutumi ware no? Adɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ Filistifo abosonsomfo mu kɔhwehwɛ ɔyere?” Nanso Samson ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Kɔyɛ ne ho ade ma me. Ɔno ara na mepɛ.”
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.
Nʼagya ne ne na anhu sɛ Awurade na ɔreyɛ nʼadwuma, rehwehwɛ akwannya bi a ɔbɛfa so atia Filistifo a saa bere no na wodi Israelfo so.
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.
Samson ne nʼawofo rekɔ Timna no, gyata ba bi tow hyɛɛ Samson so wɔ beae bi a ɛbɛn Timna bobe nturo.
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.
Amono mu hɔ ara, Awurade Honhom baa ne so wɔ ahoɔden mu, na ɔde ne nsa hunu waee gyata no abogye. Ɔwaee te sɛ nea ɔrewae abirekyi ba bi abogye. Nanso wanka nea ɔyɛe yi ankyerɛ nʼawofo.
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].
Samson duu Timna no, ɔne ɔbea no kasae, na nʼani gyee ne ho.
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.
Akyiri no a ɔresan akɔ Timna akohyia ayeforo no, ɔman kɔhwɛɛ gyata no funu no. Ohuu sɛ nnowa kuw akɔyɛ ɛwo wɔ mu.
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].
Okotii ɛwo no bi dii wɔ kwan so. Ɔmaa nʼawofo no bi ma wodii. Nanso wanka ankyerɛ wɔn sɛ onyaa ɛwo no wɔ gyata funu no mu.
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.
Afei, bere a nʼagya reyɛ ahoboa ama awaregye no, Samson too pon wɔ Timna, sɛnea amanne kyerɛ saa bere no.
11 Thirty young man were invited to the party.
Wɔtoo nsa frɛɛ mmerante aduasa a wofi kurow no mu sɛ wɔmmɛka ne ho.
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 ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Momma menka aborɔme bi nkyerɛ mo. Sɛ nnanson aponto yi mu, mutumi yi ano a, mɛma mo sirikyitam ntade aduasa ne ntade ahorow bi nso aduasa.
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.”
Sɛ moantumi anyi ano nso a, mo nso mobɛma me sirikyitam ntade aduasa ne ntade ahorow bi nso aduasa.” Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ka aborɔme no ma yentie.”
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.
Ɔkaa no se, “Nea odidi mu na wonya biribi a wodi; ɔhoɔdenfo mu na ade dɛɛdɛ fi ba.” Nnansa akyi no, na wontumi nyii ano.
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]?”
Ne nnaanan so no, wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Samson yere se, “Gye aborɔme no mmuae fi wo kunu hɔ ma yɛn, anyɛ saa a, yɛbɛhyew wo ne wʼagya fi ama wɔawu. Motoo nsa frɛɛ yɛn wɔ ha sɛ morebesisi yɛn ana?”
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?”
Enti Samson yere de su baa ne nkyɛn bɛkae se, “Wonnɔ me. Wotan me! Woaka aborɔme bi akyerɛ me nkurɔfo, nanso wonkyerɛɛ me ase.” Samson buaa ne yere no se, “Saa ara na mʼagya ne me na nso menkyerɛɛ wɔn ase ɛ. Na adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo?”
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.
Enti osu guu ne so bere biara a ɔne no wɔ hɔ. Ɔkɔɔ so saa ara nna a aka na aponto no aba nʼawie nyinaa. Nnanson so no, esiane haw a ɔhaw no nti, ɔkyerɛɛ no ase. Ɔno nso kaa aborɔme nkyerɛase no kyerɛɛ mmerante no.
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!”
Na nnanson so, ansa na owia rebɛtɔ no, kurow no mu mmarima baa Samson nkyɛn bɛkyerɛɛ no ase se, “Dɛn na ɛyɛ dɛ sen ɛwo? Dɛn na ɛwɔ ahoɔden sen gyata?” Samson buaa wɔn se, “Sɛ mo ne ɔfatwafo no antu agyina a, anka morennya aborɔme no nkyerɛase.”
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.
Afei, Awurade Honhom de ahoɔden kɛse bi baa ne so. Ɔkɔɔ Askelon kurow mu. Okunkum mmarima aduasa faa wɔn agyapade nyinaa. Ɔde wɔn ntade maa mmarima a woyii aborɔme no ano no. Na Samson bo annwo nea ɛbae no ho yiye nti ɔkɔɔ ne fi na ɔne nʼawofo kɔtenae.
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].
Enti wɔde ne yere no maa ɔbarima a na odi Samson nan ase wɔ wɔn ayeforohyia mu no aware.
