Fakamaau 14
1 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ʻa Samisoni ki Timinate, ʻo ne mamata ʻi Timinate ki ha fefine ʻi he ngaahi ʻofefine ʻoe kau Filisitia.
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2 Pea naʻe haʻu ia, ʻo tala ki heʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē, ʻo ne pehē, “Kuo u mamata ʻi Timinate ki he fefine ʻi he ngaahi ʻofefine ʻoe kau Filisitia pea ko eni, ke mo maʻu ia moʻoku ke ma mali.”
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.”
3 Pea naʻe pehē ai ʻe heʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē kiate ia, “ʻOku ʻikai koā ha fefine ʻi he ngaahi ʻofefine ʻo ho kāinga, pe ʻi hoku kakai kotoa pē, kuo ke ʻalu ai ke fili ha uaifi mei he kakai Filisitia taʻekamu?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samisoni ki heʻene tamai, “Ke ke maʻu ia moʻoku he ʻoku lelei ia kiate au.”
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.”
4 Ka naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe heʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē naʻe ueʻi ia ʻe Sihova, koeʻuhi ke ne ʻilo ai ha meʻa ke tauheleʻi ʻae kau Filisitia: he naʻe pule ʻae kau Filisitia ʻi he kuonga ko ia ki ʻIsileli.
(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.)
5 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ʻa Samisoni, mo ʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē, ki Timinate, pea nau hoko ki he ngaahi ngoue vaine ʻi Timinate: pea vakai, naʻa ne fetaulaki mo e laione mui ʻaia naʻe ʻoho ngungulu ange kiate ia.
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,
6 Pea naʻe hoko mālohi lahi ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova kiate ia, pea ne haehae [ʻae laione ]ʻo hangē ko ʻene haehae ʻae ʻuhikiʻi kosi, pea naʻe ʻikai ha meʻa ʻi hono nima: ka naʻe ʻikai te ne fakahā ki heʻene tamai pē ko ʻene faʻē, ʻaia kuo ne fai.
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.
7 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ia, pea alea ia mo e fefine: pea naʻe fiemālie lahi ʻa Samisoni ʻiate ia.
Then Samson continued on his way down and spoke to the woman, because she was pleasing to his eyes.
8 Pea hili ʻae ngaahi ʻaho niʻihi, naʻe toe liu mai ia ke ne maʻu ia, pea afe ia mei he hala ke mamata ki he ʻangaʻanga ʻoe laione: pea vakai, naʻe ʻi ai ʻae fuifui pi mo e hone ʻi he ʻangaʻanga ʻoe laione.
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.
9 Pea naʻe toʻo ʻe ia mei ai ki hono nima, pea ʻalu pe mo kai, pe haʻu ia ki heʻene tamai mo ʻene faʻē, pea ne ʻatu kiate kinaua, pea ne na kai: ka naʻe ʻikai te ne tala kiate kinaua kuo ne toʻo ʻae hone mei he ʻangaʻanga ʻoe laione.
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.
10 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ʻene tamai ki he fefine: pea naʻe fai ʻi ai ʻe Samisoni ʻae kātoanga: he naʻe pehē pe ʻae anga ʻoe kau talavou.
Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
11 Pea ʻi heʻenau mamata kiate ia, pea pehē, naʻa nau ʻomi ʻae kau tangata ʻe toko tolungofulu ko ʻene kaumeʻa.
And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
12 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samisoni kiate kinautolu, “Ko eni, te u tuku atu ʻae lea ʻoku fufū hono ʻuhinga kiate kimoutolu: kapau te mou fakahā moʻoni ia kiate au ʻi hono ʻaho fitu ʻoe kātoanga, ʻo ʻilo ia, te u ʻatu kiate kimoutolu ʻae kofu loto ʻe tolungofulu mo e kofu ki he sino kotoa ʻe tolungofulu.
“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.
13 Pea kapau ʻe ʻikai te mou faʻa fakahā ia kiate au, te mou tuku mai kiate au ʻae kofu loto ʻe tolungofulu, mo e kofu kotoa ʻe tolungofulu. Pea naʻa nau pehē kiate ia, “Tuku mai hoʻo lea ʻoku ʻuhinga fufū, koeʻuhi ke mau fanongo ki ai.”
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.”
14 Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “Naʻe tupu ʻae meʻakai mei he ʻuakai, pea naʻe tupu mei he mālohi ʻae meʻa melie.” Pea naʻe ʻosi ʻae ʻaho ʻe tolu mo e ʻikai tenau faʻa fakaʻuhingaʻi ʻae lea.
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.
15 Pea ʻi hono fitu ʻoe ʻaho, naʻe pehē, naʻa nau tala ki he uaifi ʻo Samisoni, ʻo pehē, “Fakakolekole ki ho husepāniti, koeʻuhi ke ne fakahā kiate kimautolu ʻae lea, telia naʻa mau tutu koe mo e fale ʻo hoʻo tamai ʻaki ʻae afi: he kuo mou talia ʻakimautolu ke toe toʻo pe ʻemau meʻa? ʻIkai ʻoku pehē?”
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?”
16 Pea naʻe tangi ʻae uaifi ʻo Samisoni ʻi hono ʻao, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻOku ke fehiʻa pe kiate au, pea ʻoku ʻikai te ke ʻofa kiate au: kuo ke tuku atu ʻae lea ki he fānau ʻa hoku kakai, pea ʻoku teʻeki ai te ke tala ia kiate au.” Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “Vakai, naʻe ʻikai te u tala ia ki heʻeku tamai mo ʻeku faʻē, pea ʻe lelei ʻeku tala ia kiate koe?”
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?”
17 Pea naʻe tangi pe ia ʻi hono ʻao, ʻi hono toenga ʻaho ʻo ʻenau kātoanga: pea hoko ki hono fitu ʻoe ʻaho, pea pehē, naʻa ne tala ia kiate ia, he naʻe fakafiu fakamamahi ia kiate ia: pea naʻe fakahā ʻe ia ʻae lea mo hono ʻuhinga fufū ki he fānau ʻa hono kakai.
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.
18 Pea lea kiate ia ʻe he kau tangata ʻoe kolo ʻi hono fitu ʻoe ʻaho, ʻi he teʻeki ai tō ʻae laʻā, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā ʻoku melie lahi ʻi he honi? Pea ko e hā ʻoku mālohi hake ʻi he laione?” Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “Ka ne taʻeʻoua hoʻomou keli mo ʻeku pulu fefine, pehē ne ʻikai te mou ʻilo ʻeku lea mo hono ʻuhinga fufū.”
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!”
19 Pea naʻe hoko mālohi ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova kiate ia, pea ʻalu hifo ia ki ʻAsikeloni, ʻo ne tāmateʻi ʻae kau tangata ʻiate kinautolu ʻe toko tolungofulu, pea naʻe toʻo ʻe ia honau ngaahi kofu, ʻo ʻatu ʻae ngaahi kofu kiate kinautolu naʻe fakahā ʻene lea fufū. Pea naʻe tupu ai ʻene ʻita, pea ʻalu hake ai ia ki he fale ʻo ʻene tamai.
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,
20 Ka naʻe ʻatu ʻae uaifi ʻo Samisoni ki heʻene kaumeʻa, ʻaia naʻa ne faʻaki ki ai ko hono kāinga.
and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
