שֹׁפְטִים 13

1 וַיֹּסִ֙פוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֧ם יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ פ

The Israelites continued to do what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines to rule them for forty years.

2 וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֧ד מִצָּרְעָ֛ה מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת הַדָּנִ֖י וּשְׁמֹ֣ו מָנֹ֑וחַ וְאִשְׁתֹּ֥ו עֲקָרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָלָֽדָה׃

At that time there was a man named Manoah. He was from the tribe of Dan and lived in the town of Zorah. His wife couldn't conceive and had no children.

3 וַיֵּרָ֥א מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֗יהָ הִנֵּה־נָ֤א אַתְּ־עֲקָרָה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָלַ֔דְתְּ וְהָרִ֖ית וְיָלַ֥דְתְּ בֵּֽן׃

The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her, “It's true that you couldn't conceive, and have no children, but now you're going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.

4 וְעַתָּה֙ הִשָּׁ֣מְרִי נָ֔א וְאַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֖י יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֑ר וְאַל־תֹּאכְלִ֖י כָּל־טָמֵֽא׃

So then please be careful not to drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and don't eat anything unclean.

5 כִּי֩ הִנָּ֨ךְ הָרָ֜ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֗ן וּמֹורָה֙ לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֣ה עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֔ו כִּֽי־נְזִ֧יר אֱלֹהִ֛ים יִהְיֶ֥ה הַנַּ֖עַר מִן־הַבָּ֑טֶן וְה֗וּא יָחֵ֛ל לְהֹושִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִיַּ֥ד פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

You're going to become pregnant and have a son whose head a razor must never touch, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth. He will start the process of saving Israel from the Philistines.”

6 וַתָּבֹ֣א הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִישָׁהּ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֤ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י וּמַרְאֵ֕הוּ כְּמַרְאֵ֛ה מַלְאַ֥ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נֹורָ֣א מְאֹ֑ד וְלֹ֤א שְׁאִלְתִּ֙יהוּ֙ אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֣ה ה֔וּא וְאֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו לֹֽא־הִגִּ֥יד לִֽי׃

The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the Angel of God, really frightening. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't did not tell me his name.

7 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְעַתָּ֞ה אַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֣י ׀ יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֗ר וְאַל־תֹּֽאכְלִי֙ כָּל־טֻמְאָ֔ה כִּֽי־נְזִ֤יר אֱלֹהִים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה הַנַּ֔עַר מִן־הַבֶּ֖טֶן עַד־יֹ֥ום מֹותֹֽו׃ פ

But he told me, ‘You're going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, and don't eat anything unclean. For the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth until the day of his death.’”

8 וַיֶּעְתַּ֥ר מָנֹ֛וחַ אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בִּ֣י אֲדֹונָ֔י אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֞ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁלַ֗חְתָּ יָבֹוא־נָ֥א עֹוד֙ אֵלֵ֔ינוּ וְיֹורֵ֕נוּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לַנַּ֥עַר הַיּוּלָּֽד׃

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent us return to us to explain what we're supposed to do with the boy who is to be born.”

9 וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּקֹ֣ול מָנֹ֑וחַ וַיָּבֹ֣א מַלְאַךְ֩ הָאֱלֹהִ֨ים עֹ֜וד אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וְהִיא֙ יֹושֶׁ֣בֶת בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וּמָנֹ֥וחַ אִישָׁ֖הּ אֵ֥ין עִמָּֽהּ׃

God responded to Manoah's request, and the Angel of God returned to the woman while she was sitting out in the field. However, her husband Manoah was not with her.

10 וַתְּמַהֵר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתָּ֖רָץ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לְאִישָׁ֑הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּ֨ה נִרְאָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א בַיֹּ֖ום אֵלָֽי׃

So she ran quickly to tell her husband, “Look! The man who appeared to me the other day has come back!”

11 וַיָּ֛קָם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מָנֹ֖וחַ אַחֲרֵ֣י אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לֹ֗ו הַאַתָּ֥ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתָּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אָֽנִי׃

Manoah got up and went back with his wife, and asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife before?” “Yes I am,” he replied.

12 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָנֹ֔וחַ עַתָּ֖ה יָבֹ֣א דְבָרֶ֑יךָ מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֥ה מִשְׁפַּט־הַנַּ֖עַר וּמַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃

So Manoah said, “May your promise come true! What shall be decided for the boy, and what is to be his vocation?”

13 וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מָנֹ֑וחַ מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָמַ֥רְתִּי אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה תִּשָּׁמֵֽר׃

“Make sure your wife is careful to follow everything I told her,” the angel of the Lord replied.

14 מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא֩ מִגֶּ֨פֶן הַיַּ֜יִן לֹ֣א תֹאכַ֗ל וְיַ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ אַל־תֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וְכָל־טֻמְאָ֖ה אַל־תֹּאכַ֑ל כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתִ֖יהָ תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

“She must not eat anything that comes from the vine or drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. She must not eat anything unclean. Your wife must follow everything I instructed her to do.”

15 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָנֹ֖וחַ אֶל־מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה נַעְצְרָה־נָּ֣א אֹותָ֔ךְ וְנַעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְפָנֶ֖יךָ גְּדִ֥י עִזִּֽים׃

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us keep you here while we prepare a meal of a young goat for you.”

16 וַיֹּאמֶר֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מָנֹ֗וחַ אִם־תַּעְצְרֵ֙נִי֙ לֹא־אֹכַ֣ל בְּלַחְמֶ֔ךָ וְאִם־תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה עֹלָ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה תַּעֲלֶ֑נָּה כִּ֚י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע מָנֹ֔וחַ כִּֽי־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃

The angel of the Lord replied, “I'll stay, but I won't eat your food. However, if you prepare a burnt offering, you can present it to the Lord.” (Manoah didn't know he was the angel of the Lord.)

17 וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנֹ֛וחַ אֶל־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה מִ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־יָבֹ֥א דִבְרֵיךָ (דְבָרְךָ֖) וְכִבַּדְנֽוּךָ׃

Manoah asked the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so when your promise comes true we may honor you?”

18 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לֹו֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל לִשְׁמִ֑י וְהוּא־פֶֽלִאי׃ ס

“Why do you ask this?” the angel of the Lord responded. “My name is beyond comprehension.”

19 וַיִּקַּ֨ח מָנֹ֜וחַ אֶת־גְּדִ֤י הָעִזִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַצּ֖וּר לַֽיהוָ֑ה וּמַפְלִ֣א לַעֲשֹׂ֔ות וּמָנֹ֥וחַ וְאִשְׁתֹּ֖ו רֹאִֽים׃

Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and presented them on a rock to the Lord. As Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did something amazing.

20 וַיְהִי֩ בַעֲלֹ֨ות הַלַּ֜הַב מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וַיַּ֥עַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֖ה בְּלַ֣הַב הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וּמָנֹ֤וחַ וְאִשְׁתֹּו֙ רֹאִ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם אָֽרְצָה׃

As the flame from the altar blazed up into the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Manoah and his wife saw what happened and fell with their faces to the ground.

21 וְלֹא־יָ֤סַף עֹוד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה לְהֵרָאֹ֖ה אֶל־מָנֹ֣וחַ וְאֶל־אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו אָ֚ז יָדַ֣ע מָנֹ֔וחַ כִּֽי־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃

The angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again, and Manoah realized that he was the angel of the Lord.

22 וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנֹ֛וחַ אֶל־אִשְׁתֹּ֖ו מֹ֣ות נָמ֑וּת כִּ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים רָאִֽינוּ׃

“We're definitely going to die,” he told his wife, “for we have seen God!”

23 וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לֹ֣ו אִשְׁתֹּ֗ו לוּ֩ חָפֵ֨ץ יְהוָ֤ה לַהֲמִיתֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤ח מִיָּדֵ֙נוּ֙ עֹלָ֣ה וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א הֶרְאָ֖נוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְכָעֵ֕ת לֹ֥א הִשְׁמִיעָ֖נוּ כָּזֹֽאת׃

But his wife replied, “If the Lord had wanted to kill us he wouldn't have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn't have shown us all these things, and he wouldn't have come now and announced this to us.”

24 וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמֹ֖ו שִׁמְשֹׁ֑ון וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃

She gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

25 וַתָּ֙חֶל֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֔ה לְפַעֲמֹ֖ו בְּמַחֲנֵה־דָ֑ן בֵּ֥ין צָרְעָ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין אֶשְׁתָּאֹֽל׃ פ

The Spirit of the Lord began to prompt him at Mahaneh Dan, a place between Zorah and Eshtaol.