Iudicum 14
1 descendit igitur Samson in Thamnatha vidensque ibi mulierem de filiabus Philisthim
One day Samson went to Timnah, where a young Philistine woman attracted his attention.
2 ascendit et nuntiavit patri suo et matri dicens vidi mulierem in Thamnatha de filiabus Philisthinorum quam quaeso ut mihi accipiatis uxorem
He went back home and told his father and mother, “A Philistine woman in Timnah caught my attention. Now get her for me because I want to marry her.”
3 cui dixerunt pater et mater sua numquid non est mulier in filiabus fratrum tuorum et in omni populo meo quia vis accipere uxorem de Philisthim qui incircumcisi sunt dixitque Samson ad patrem suum hanc mihi accipe quia placuit oculis meis
But his father and mother replied, “Can't you find a young woman from our tribe or from our own people? Do you have to go to the heathen Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Just get her for me, because she's the one I find her attractive.”
4 parentes autem eius nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret et quaereret occasionem contra Philisthim eo enim tempore Philisthim dominabantur Israheli
(His father and mother didn't realize that this was in the Lord's plans, who was looking for an opportunity to deal with the Philistines; because at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.)
5 descendit itaque Samson cum patre suo et matre in Thamnatha cumque venissent ad vineas oppidi apparuit catulus leonis saevus rugiens et occurrit ei
Samson went to Timnah with his father and mother. When they passed the Timnah vineyards, all of a sudden young lion came roaring out to attack him.
6 inruit autem spiritus Domini in Samson et dilaceravit leonem quasi hedum in frusta concerperet nihil omnino habens in manu et hoc patri et matri noluit indicare
The Spirit of the Lord swept over him, and he ripped the lion apart with his bare hands as easily as ripping apart a young goat. But he didn't tell his father or mother what he'd done. Then he went on his way.
7 descenditque et locutus est mulieri quae placuerat oculis eius
When Samson talked with the woman and decided she was right for him.
8 et post aliquot dies revertens ut acciperet eam declinavit ut videret cadaver leonis et ecce examen apium in ore leonis erat ac favus mellis
Later on when Samson returned to marry her, he turned off the road to look for the lion's carcass. Inside the body was a swarm of bees and their honey.
9 quem cum sumpsisset in manibus comedebat in via veniensque ad patrem suum et matrem dedit eis partem qui et ipsi comederunt nec tamen eis voluit indicare quod mel de corpore leonis adsumpserat
He scraped out some of honey into his hands and ate it as he walked. When he got back to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he didn't tell them he'd taken the honey from a lion's carcass.
10 descendit itaque pater eius ad mulierem et fecit filio suo Samson convivium sic enim iuvenes facere consuerant
While his father went to visit the woman, Samson held a drinking party there, because this was the custom among high-class young men.
11 cum igitur cives loci vidissent eum dederunt ei sodales triginta qui essent cum eo
When the Philistine people saw him, they arranged for thirty men to accompany him.
12 quibus locutus est Samson proponam vobis problema quod si solveritis mihi intra septem dies convivii dabo vobis triginta sindones et totidem tunicas
“Let me pose a riddle to you,” Samson said to them. “If you can find its meaning and explain it to me during the seven days of the party, I'll give you thirty lines cloaks and thirty sets of clothes.
13 sin autem non potueritis solvere vos dabitis mihi triginta sindones et eiusdem numeri tunicas qui responderunt ei propone problema ut audiamus
But if you can't explain it to me, you'll give me thirty lines cloaks and thirty sets of clothes.” “Fine,” they replied. “Let's hear your riddle!”
14 dixitque eis de comedente exivit cibus et de forte est egressa dulcedo nec potuerunt per tres dies propositionem solvere
“Food came out of the eater, and sweetness came out of the strong,” he said. Three days later they still hadn't worked it out.
15 cumque adesset dies septimus dixerunt ad uxorem Samson blandire viro tuo et suade ei ut indicet tibi quid significet problema quod si facere nolueris incendimus et te et domum patris tui an idcirco nos vocastis ad nuptias ut spoliaretis
On the fourth day they came to Samson's wife and told her, “Use your charms to get your husband to explain the riddle and then tell us, or we'll burn you and all your family to death. Did you bring us here just to rob us?”
16 quae fundebat apud Samson lacrimas et querebatur dicens odisti me et non diligis idcirco problema quod proposuisti filiis populi mei non vis mihi exponere at ille respondit patri meo et matri nolui dicere et tibi indicare potero
So Samson's wife went crying to him, saying, “You really do hate me, don't you! You don't love me at all! You have posed a riddle to my people, but haven't even explained it to me.” “So?” he replied. “I haven't even explained it to my father or mother! Why should I explain it to you?”
17 septem igitur diebus convivii flebat apud eum tandemque die septimo cum ei molesta esset exposuit quae statim indicavit civibus suis
She cried in front of him for the whole time of the party, and eventually on the seventh day he explained it to her because she nagged him so much. Then she explained the meaning of the riddle to the Philistine young men.
18 et illi dixerunt ei die septimo ante solis occubitum quid dulcius melle et quid leone fortius qui ait ad eos si non arassetis in vitula mea non invenissetis propositionem meam
Before the sun set on the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson and said, “What's sweeter than honey? What's stronger than a lion?” “If you hadn't used my cow to plough with, you wouldn't have found out the meaning of my riddle,” Samson replied.
19 inruit itaque in eo spiritus Domini descenditque Ascalonem et percussit ibi triginta viros quorum ablatas vestes dedit his qui problema solverant iratusque nimis ascendit in domum patris sui
The Spirit of the Lord swept over him and he went to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their clothing, and gave it to those who had explained the riddle. Furiously anger, Samson went back to his father's house.
20 uxor autem eius accepit maritum unum de amicis eius et pronubis
Samson's wife was given to his best man who had accompanied him at the wedding.
