שֹׁפְטִים 14
| וַיֵּ֥רֶד שִׁמְשֹׁ֖ון תִּמְנָ֑תָה וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה בְּתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנֹ֥ות פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ | 1 |
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
| וַיַּ֗עַל וַיַּגֵּד֙ לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמֹּ֔ו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִשָּׁ֛ה רָאִ֥יתִי בְתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנֹ֣ות פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְעַתָּ֕ה קְחוּ־אֹותָ֥הּ לִּ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ | 2 |
So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לֹ֜ו אָבִ֣יו וְאִמֹּ֗ו הַאֵין֩ בִּבְנֹ֨ות אַחֶ֤יךָ וּבְכָל־עַמִּי֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה הֹולֵךְ֙ לָקַ֣חַת אִשָּׁ֔ה מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הָעֲרֵלִ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שִׁמְשֹׁ֤ון אֶל־אָבִיו֙ אֹותָ֣הּ קַֽח־לִ֔י כִּֽי־הִ֖יא יָשְׁרָ֥ה בְעֵינָֽי׃ | 3 |
But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”
| וְאָבִ֨יו וְאִמֹּ֜ו לֹ֣א יָדְע֗וּ כִּ֤י מֵיְהוָה֙ הִ֔יא כִּי־תֹאֲנָ֥ה הֽוּא־מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים מֹשְׁלִ֥ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ | 4 |
(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
| וַיֵּ֧רֶד שִׁמְשֹׁ֛ון וְאָבִ֥יו וְאִמֹּ֖ו תִּמְנָ֑תָה וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַד־כַּרְמֵ֣י תִמְנָ֔תָה וְהִנֵּה֙ כְּפִ֣יר אֲרָיֹ֔ות שֹׁאֵ֖ג לִקְרָאתֹֽו׃ | 5 |
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him,
| וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַֽיְשַׁסְּעֵ֙הוּ֙ כְּשַׁסַּ֣ע הַגְּדִ֔י וּמְא֖וּמָה אֵ֣ין בְּיָדֹ֑ו וְלֹ֤א הִגִּיד֙ לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמֹּ֔ו אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃ | 6 |
and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
| וַיֵּ֖רֶד וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר לָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתִּישַׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י שִׁמְשֹֽׁון׃ | 7 |
Then Samson continued on his way down and spoke to the woman, because she was pleasing to his eyes.
| וַיָּ֤שָׁב מִיָּמִים֙ לְקַחְתָּ֔הּ וַיָּ֣סַר לִרְאֹ֔ות אֵ֖ת מַפֶּ֣לֶת הָאַרְיֵ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה עֲדַ֧ת דְּבֹורִ֛ים בִּגְוִיַּ֥ת הָאַרְיֵ֖ה וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ | 8 |
When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey.
| וַיִּרְדֵּ֣הוּ אֶל־כַּפָּ֗יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ הָלֹוךְ֙ וְאָכֹ֔ל וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־אָבִ֣יו וְאֶל־אִמֹּ֔ו וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ וְלֹֽא־הִגִּ֣יד לָהֶ֔ם כִּ֛י מִגְּוִיַּ֥ת הָאַרְיֵ֖ה רָדָ֥ה הַדְּבָֽשׁ׃ | 9 |
So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
| וַיֵּ֥רֶד אָבִ֖יהוּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיַּ֨עַשׂ שָׁ֤ם שִׁמְשֹׁון֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יַעֲשׂ֖וּ הַבַּחוּרִֽים׃ | 10 |
Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
| וַיְהִ֖י כִּרְאֹותָ֣ם אֹותֹ֑ו וַיִּקְחוּ֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים מֵֽרֵעִ֔ים וַיִּהְי֖וּ אִתֹּֽו׃ | 11 |
And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון אָחֽוּדָה־נָּ֥א לָכֶ֖ם חִידָ֑ה אִם־הַגֵּ֣ד תַּגִּידוּ֩ אֹותָ֨הּ לִ֜י שִׁבְעַ֨ת יְמֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ וּמְצָאתֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים סְדִינִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים חֲלִפֹ֥ת בְּגָדִֽים׃ | 12 |
“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
| וְאִם־לֹ֣א תוּכְלוּ֮ לְהַגִּ֣יד לִי֒ וּנְתַתֶּ֨ם אַתֶּ֥ם לִי֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים סְדִינִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים חֲלִיפֹ֣ות בְּגָדִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹ֔ו ח֥וּדָה חִידָתְךָ֖ וְנִשְׁמָעֶֽנָּה׃ | 13 |
But if you cannot solve it, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they replied. “Let us hear it.”
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם מֵהָֽאֹכֵל֙ יָצָ֣א מַאֲכָ֔ל וּמֵעַ֖ז יָצָ֣א מָתֹ֑וק וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֛וּ לְהַגִּ֥יד הַחִידָ֖ה שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃ | 14 |
So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
| וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ לְאֵֽשֶׁת־שִׁמְשֹׁון֙ פַּתִּ֣י אֶת־אִישֵׁ֗ךְ וְיַגֶּד־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הַ֣חִידָ֔ה פֶּן־נִשְׂרֹ֥ף אֹותָ֛ךְ וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית אָבִ֖יךְ בָּאֵ֑שׁ הַלְיָרְשֵׁ֕נוּ קְרָאתֶ֥ם לָ֖נוּ הֲלֹֽא׃ | 15 |
So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
| וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת שִׁמְשֹׁ֜ון עָלָ֗יו וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ רַק־שְׂנֵאתַ֙נִי֙ וְלֹ֣א אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי הֽ͏ַחִידָ֥ה חַ֙דְתָּ֙ לִבְנֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י וְלִ֖י לֹ֣א הִגַּ֑דְתָּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הִנֵּ֨ה לְאָבִ֧י וּלְאִמִּ֛י לֹ֥א הִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְלָ֥ךְ אַגִּֽיד׃ | 16 |
Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”
| וַתֵּ֤בְךְּ עָלָיו֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ֙ כִּ֣י הֱצִיקַ֔תְהוּ וַתַּגֵּ֥ד הַחִידָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י עַמָּֽהּ׃ | 17 |
She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.
| וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹו֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הָעִ֜יר בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יָבֹ֣א הַחַ֔רְסָה מַה־מָּתֹ֣וק מִדְּבַ֔שׁ וּמֶ֥ה עַ֖ז מֵאֲרִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם לוּלֵא֙ חֲרַשְׁתֶּ֣ם בְּעֶגְלָתִ֔י לֹ֥א מְצָאתֶ֖ם חִידָתִֽי׃ | 18 |
Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to Samson: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” So he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”
| וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַשְׁקְלֹ֜ון וַיַּ֥ךְ מֵהֶ֣ם ׀ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־חֲלִ֣יצֹותָ֔ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ הַחֲלִיפֹ֔ות לְמַגִּידֵ֖י הַחִידָ֑ה וַיִּ֣חַר אַפֹּ֔ו וַיַּ֖עַל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיהוּ׃ פ | 19 |
Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,
| וַתְּהִ֖י אֵ֣שֶׁת שִׁמְשֹׁ֑ון לְמֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רֵעָ֖ה לֹֽו׃ | 20 |
and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
