Judges 13

1 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 There was a man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was not able to become pregnant and so she had not given birth.

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah, and his wife was barren, and did not bear.

3 The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “See now, you have been unable to become pregnant, and you have not given birth, but you will become pregnant and you will give birth to a son.

And the agent of Jehovah appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, thou are barren, and do not bear, but thou shall conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean.

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing,

5 Look, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. No razor will be used upon his head, for the child will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

for, lo, thou shall conceive, and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel of God, very terrible. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.

Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the agent of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him from where he was, neither did he tell me his name,

7 He said to me, 'Look! You will become pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and do not eat any food that the law declares to be unclean, because the child will be a Nazirite to God from the time he is in your womb until the day of his death.'”

but he said to me, Behold, thou shall conceive, and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God you sent come again to us so that he may teach us what we are to do for the child who soon will be born.”

Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou sent come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child that shall be born.

9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came to the woman again when she was sitting in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.

And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the agent of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Look! The man has appeared to me—the one who came to me the other day!”

And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, who came to me the other day.

11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who spoke with my wife?” The man said, “I am.”

And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Are thou the man who spoke to the woman? And he said, I am.

12 So Manoah said, “Now may your words come true. What will be the rules for the child, and what will be his work?”

And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. What shall be the ordering of the child, and what shall we do to him?

13 The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “She must carefully do everything that I said to her.

And the agent of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

14 She may not eat anything that comes from the vines, and do not let her drink wine or strong drink or eat anything unclean. She must obey everything I have commanded her to do.”

She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.

15 Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please stay for a while, to give us time to prepare a young goat for you.”

And Manoah said to the agent of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.

16 The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to Yahweh.” (Manoah did not know that he was the angel of Yahweh.)

And the agent of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread, and if thou will make ready a burnt offering, thou must offer it to Jehovah. For Manoah did not know that he was the agent of Jehovah.

17 Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What is your name, so we may honor you when your words come true?”

And Manoah said to the agent of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor?

18 The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask my name? It is wonderful!”

And the agent of Jehovah said to him, Why do thou ask after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered them on the rock to Yahweh. He did something marvelous while Manoah and his wife were watching.

So Manoah took the kid with the meal offering, and offered it upon the rock to Jehovah. And the agent did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on,

20 When the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife saw this and lay facedown on the ground.

for it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the agent of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The angel of Yahweh did not appear again to Manoah or his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Yahweh.

But the agent of Jehovah appeared no more to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the agent of Jehovah.

22 Manoah said to his wife, “We are sure to die, because we have seen God!”

And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh wanted to kill us, he would not have received the burnt offering and the grain offering we gave him. He would not have shown us all these things, nor at this time would he have let us hear such things.”

But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

24 Later the woman gave birth to a son, and called his name Samson. The child grew up and Yahweh blessed him.

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.

25 Yahweh's Spirit began to stir him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.