Judges 14
1 And Samson goeth down to Timnath, and seeth a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines,
Samson went down to Timnah, and there he saw a woman, one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 and cometh up and declareth to his father, and to his mother, and saith, 'A woman I have seen in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; and now, take her for me for a wife.'
When he returned, he told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me to be my wife.”
3 And his father saith to him — also his mother, 'Is there not among the daughters of thy brethren, and among all my people, a woman, that thou art going to take a woman from the uncircumcised Philistines?' and Samson saith unto his father, 'Take her for me, for she is right in mine eyes.'
His father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people? Are you going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for when I look at her, she pleases me.”
4 And his father and his mother have not known that from Jehovah it [is], that a meeting he is seeking of the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines are ruling over Israel.
But his father and his mother did not know that this matter came from Yahweh, for he desired to create a conflict with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).
5 And Samson goeth down — also his father and his mother, to Timnath, and they come unto the vineyards of Timnath, and lo, a lion's whelp roareth at meeting him,
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And, look, there one of the young lions came up and was roaring at him.
6 and the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and he rendeth it as the rending of a kid, and there is nothing in his hand, and he hath not declared to his father and to his mother that which he hath done.
Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on him, and he tore the lion apart as easily as he would have torn apart a small goat, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he goeth down and speaketh to the woman, and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
He went and spoke with the woman, and when he looked at her, she pleased Samson.
8 and he turneth back after [some] days to take her, and turneth aside to see the carcase of the lion, and lo, a company of bees [are] in the body of the lion — and honey.
A few days later when he returned to marry her, he turned aside to look for the carcass of the lion. And, look, there was a swarm of bees and honey in what was left of the lion's body.
9 And he taketh it down on to his hands, and goeth on, going and eating; and he goeth unto his father, and unto his mother, and giveth to them, and they eat, and he hath not declared to them that from the body of the lion he took down the honey.
He scraped up the honey in his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and his mother, he gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them he had taken the honey out of what was left of the lion's body.
10 And his father goeth down unto the woman, and Samson maketh there a banquet, for so the young men do;
Samson's father went down to where the woman was, and Samson gave a feast there, for this was the custom of the young men.
11 and it cometh to pass when they see him, that they take thirty companions, and they are with him.
As soon as her relatives saw him, they brought him thirty of their friends to be with him.
12 And Samson saith to them, 'Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me [in] the seven days of the banquet, and have found [it] out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments;
Samson said to them, “Let me now tell you a riddle. If one of you can find it out and tell me the answer during the seven days of the feast, I will give out thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.
13 and if ye are not able to declare [it] to me, then ye have given to me thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments.' And they say to him, 'Put forth thy riddle, and we hear it!'
But if you cannot tell me the answer, then you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, so we may hear it.”
14 And he saith to them: 'Out of the eater came forth meat, And out of the strong came forth sweetness;' and they were not able to declare the riddle [in] three days.
He said to them, “Out of the eater was something to eat; out of the strong was something sweet.” But his guests could not find the answer in three days.
15 And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson's wife, 'Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?'
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, “Trick your husband so that he may tell us the answer to the riddle, or we will burn up you and your father's house. Did you invite us here in order to make us poor?”
16 And Samson's wife weepeth for it, and saith, 'Thou hast only hated me, and hast not loved me; the riddle thou hast put forth to the sons of my people — and to me thou hast not declared it;' and he saith to her, 'Lo, to my father and to my mother I have not declared [it] — and to thee I declare [it]!'
Samson's wife started to weep in front of him; she said, “All you do is hate me! You do not love me. You have told a riddle to some of my people, but you have not told me the answer.” Samson said to her, “Look here, if I have not told my father or my mother, should I tell you?”
17 And she weepeth for it the seven days [in] which their banquet hath been, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day that he declareth [it] to her, for she hath distressed him; and she declareth the riddle to the sons of her people.
She cried during the seven days that their feast lasted. On the seventh day he told her the answer because she pressured him very much. She told the answer to the relatives of her people.
18 And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goeth in: — 'What [is] sweeter than honey? And what stronger than a lion?' And he saith to them: 'Unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.'
Before the sun went down on the seventh day the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found the answer to my riddle.”
19 And the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and he goeth down to Ashkelon, and smiteth of them thirty men, and taketh their armour, and giveth the changes to those declaring the riddle; and his anger burneth, and he goeth up to the house of his father;
Then Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on Samson with power. Samson went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men. He took their plunder, and he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house.
20 and Samson's wife becometh his companion's, who [is] his friend.
Samson's wife was given to his best friend.
