Judges 14
1 One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
Dabi a na Samson wɔ Timna no, ɔhunuu Filistini ababaawa 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.”
Ɔsane kɔɔ efie no, ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼagya ne ne maame sɛ, “Mahunu Filistini ababaawa 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 maame ampene so kaa no anibereɛ so sɛ, “Enti, yɛn abusua yi mu anaa Israelfoɔ yi mu, ɔbaa baako mpo nni mu a wotumi ware no? Adɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ Filistifoɔ abosonsomfoɔ mu kɔpɛ ɔyere?” Nanso, Samson ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya sɛ, “Kɔyɛ ne ho adeɛ 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 maame anhunu sɛ Awurade na ɔreyɛ nʼadwuma, repɛ akwannya bi a ɔbɛfa so atia Filistifoɔ a saa ɛberɛ no na wɔdi Israelfoɔ 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 nʼawofoɔ rekɔ Timna no, gyata ba bi to hyɛɛ Samson so wɔ beaeɛ 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.
Amonom hɔ ara, Awurade Honhom baa ne so wɔ ahoɔden mu, na ɔde ne nsa hunu waee gyata no apantan. Ɔwaee te sɛ deɛ ɔrewae abirekyie ba bi apantan. Nanso, wanka deɛ ɔyɛeɛ yi ankyerɛ nʼawofoɔ.
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 duruu Timna no, ɔne ɔbaa no kasaeɛ 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.
Akyire no a ɔresane akɔ Timna akɔhyia ayeforɔ no, ɔmane kɔhwɛɛ gyata no funu no. Ɔhunuu sɛ nwowa kuo akɔyɛ ɛwoɔ 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].
Ɔkɔtii ɛwoɔ no bi dii wɔ ɛkwan so. Ɔmaa nʼawofoɔ no bi ma wɔdiiɛ. Nanso, wanka ankyerɛ wɔn sɛ ɔnyaa ɛwoɔ 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, ɛberɛ a nʼagya reyɛ ahoboa ama awaregyeɛ no, Samson too ɛpono wɔ Timna, sɛdeɛ amanneɛ kyerɛ saa ɛberɛ no.
11 Thirty young man were invited to the party.
Wɔtoo nsa frɛɛ mmeranteɛ aduasa a wɔfiri kuro 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 sɛ, “Momma menka aborɔme bi nkyerɛ mo. Sɛ nnanson apontoɔ yi mu, motumi yi ano a, mɛma mo serekyetam ntadeɛ aduasa ne ntadeɛ ahodoɔ 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 serekyetam ntadeɛ aduasa ne ntadeɛ ahodoɔ bi nso aduasa.” Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ka aborɔme no ma yɛntie.”
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 sɛ, “Deɛ ɔdie mu na wɔnya biribi a wɔdie; ɔhoɔdenfoɔ mu na ɔdɛ firi ba.” Nnansa akyi no, na wɔntumi 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 nna ɛnan soɔ no, wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Samson yere sɛ, “Gye aborɔme no mmuaeɛ firi wo kunu hɔ ma yɛn, anyɛ saa a, yɛbɛhye wo ne wʼagya fie ama wɔawu. Motoo nsa frɛɛ yɛn wɔ ha sɛ morebɛsisi yɛn anaa?”
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 bɛkaa sɛ, “Wonnɔ me. Wotan me! Woaka aborɔme bi akyerɛ me nkurɔfoɔ, nanso, wonkyerɛɛ me aseɛ.” Samson buaa ne yere no sɛ, “Saa ara na mʼagya ne me maame nso menkyerɛɛ wɔn aseɛ. Na adɛn enti 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, ɔsu guu ne so biribiara ɔne no wɔ hɔ. Ɔkɔɔ so saa ara nna a aka na apontoɔ no aba nʼawieeɛ nyinaa. Nnanson so no, ɛsiane ha a ɔhaa no enti, ɔkyerɛɛ no aseɛ. Ɔno nso kaa aborɔme asekyerɛ no kyerɛɛ mmeranteɛ 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, kuro no mu mmarima baa Samson nkyɛn bɛkyerɛɛ no aseɛ sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na ɛyɛ dɛ sene woɔ? Ɛdeɛn na ɛwɔ ahoɔden sene gyata?” Samson buaa wɔn sɛ, “Sɛ mo ne ɔfatwafoɔ no antu agyina, anka morennya aborɔme no asekyerɛ.”
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 kɛseɛ bi baa ne so. Ɔkɔɔ Askelon kuro mu. Ɔkunkumm mmarima aduasa faa wɔn agyapadeɛ nyinaa. Ɔde wɔn ntadeɛ maa mmarima a wɔyii aborɔme no ano no. Na Samson bo annwo deɛ ɛbaeɛ no ho yie enti ɔkɔɔ ne fie na ɔne nʼawofoɔ kɔtenaeɛ.
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 ɔdi Samson nan ase wɔ wɔn ayeforɔhyia mu no awadeɛ.
