Judges 14
1 Therfor Sampson yede doun in to Thannatha, and he siy there a womman of `the douytris of Filisteis;
And Samson went down to Timnathah, and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 and he stiede, and telde to his fadir and `to his modir, and seide, Y siy a womman in Thannatha of the `douytris of Filistees, and Y biseche, that ye take hir a wijf to me.
And he went up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines; and now take her to me for wife.
3 To whom his fadir and modir seiden, Whether no womman is among the douytris of thi britheren and in al my puple, for thou wolt take a wijf of Filisteis, that ben vncircumcidid? And Sampson seide to his fadir, Take thou this wijf to me, for sche pleside myn iyen.
Then said unto him his father and his mother, Is there not among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, a woman, that thou art going to take a wife from the Philistines, the uncircumcised? And Samson said unto his father, This one take for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 Forsothe his fadir and modir wisten not, that the thing was don of the Lord; and that he souyte occasiouns ayens Filisteis; for in that tyme Filisteis weren lordis of Israel.
But his father and his mother knew not that it was from the Lord, that he sought but an occasion against the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Therfor Sampson yede doun with his fadir and modir in to Thannatha; and whanne thei hadden come to the vyneris of the citee, a fers and rorynge `whelp of a lioun apperide, and ran to Sampson.
And Samson thus went down, with his father and his mother, to Timnathah; and when they were come as far as the vineyards of Timnathah, behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.
6 Forsothe the spirit of the Lord felde in to Sampson, and he to-rente the lioun, as if he `to-rendide a kide `in to gobetis, and outerli he hadde no thing in the hond; and he nolde schewe this to the fadir and modir.
And the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly over him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he yede doun, and spak to the womman, that pleside hise iyen.
And he went down, and spoke unto the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 And aftir summe daies he turnede ayen to take hir `in to matrimonye; and he `bowide awey to se the `careyn of the lioun; and lo! a gaderyng of bees was in the `mouth of the lioun, and `a coomb of hony.
And when he returned after a time to take her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion and honey likewise.
9 And whanne he hadde take it in hondis, he eet in the weie; and he cam to his fadir and modir, and yaf part `to hem, and thei eeten; netheles he nolde schewe to hem, that he hadde take hony of the `mouth of the lioun.
And he took it out in his hands, and went on, eating as he was going, and came to his father and mother, and he gave unto them, and they did eat; but he told them not that out of the carcass of the lion he had taken the honey.
10 And so his fadir yede doun to the womman, and made a feeste to his sone Sampson; for yonge men weren wont to do so.
And his father went down unto the woman; and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 Therfor whanne the citeseyns of that place hadden seyn hym, thei yauen to hym thretti felowis, whiche schulen be with hym.
And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions, and they remained with him.
12 To whiche Sampson spak, Y schal putte forth to you a probleme, `that is, a douyteful word and priuy, and if ye `asoilen it to me with ynne seuen daies of the feeste, Y schal yyue to you thretti lynnun clothis, and cootis `of the same noumbre; sotheli if ye moun not soyle,
And Samson said unto them, I will now propound unto you a riddle; if ye can in anywise tell it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then will I give you thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments;
13 ye schulen yyue to me thretti lynnun clothis, and cootis `of the same noumbre. Whiche answeriden to hym, Sette forth the probleme, that we here it.
But if ye will not be able to tell it to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments. And they said unto him, Propound thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he seide to hem, Mete yede out of the etere, and swetnesse yede out of the stronge. And bi thre daies thei myyten not assoile the `proposicioun, that is, the resoun set forth.
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not solve the riddle in three days.
15 And whanne the seuenthe dai cam, thei seiden to `the wijf of Sampson, Glose thin hosebonde, and counseile hym, that he schewe to thee what the probleme signyfieth. That if thou nylt do, we schulen brenne thee and `the hous of thi fadir. Whether herfor ye clepiden vs to weddyngis, that ye schulden robbe vs?
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may solve unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye invited us to impoverish us? is it not so?
16 And sche schedde teerys at Sampson, and pleynede, and seide, Thou hatist me, and louest not, therfor thou nylt expowne to me the probleme, which thou settidist forth to the sones of my puple. And he answeride, Y nolde seie to my fadir and modir, and schal Y mow schewe to thee?
And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou doest but hate me, and lovest me not: that riddle hast thou propounded unto the children of my people, and me hast thou not told [the solution]. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it to my father and to my mother, and thee shall I tell it?
17 Therfor bi seuene dayes of the feest sche wepte at hym; at the laste `he expownede in the seuenthe dai, whanne sche was diseseful to hym. And anoon sche telde to hir citeseyns.
And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she had worried him: and she told [the solution of] the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And thei seiden to hym in the seuenthe dai bifor the goyng doun of the sunne, What is swettere than hony, and what is strengere than a lioun? And he seide to hem, If ye hadden not erid in my cow calf, `that is, my wijf, ye hadden not founde my proposicioun.
Then said unto him the men of the city on the seventh day before the sun was yet gone down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 Therfor the spirit of the Lord felde in to hym; and he yede doun to Ascalon, and killyde there thretti men, whose clothis he took awey, and he yaf to hem that soiliden the probleme; and he was ful wrooth, and stiede in to `the hows of his fadir.
And the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly over him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew of them thirty men, and he took their apparel, and gave the changes of garments unto the expounders of the riddle; but his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20 Forsothe his wijf took an hosebonde, oon of the frendis and keperis `of hir.
And Samson's wife was given to his companion who had been given him as his associate.
