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 when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
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.”
When he returned home, he told his mother and father, “I saw a young Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want you to get her for me so I can marry her.”
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.”
His mother and father objected very strongly. They said, “Is there no woman from our tribe, or from the other Israeli tribes, that you could marry? Why must you go to the heathen Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She is the one I want!”
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.
His mother and father did not realize that Yahweh was arranging this. He was preparing a way for [Samson to defeat] the Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at that time.
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.
So, as Samson was going down to Timnah, followed by his mother and father, a young lion attacked Samson near the vineyards close to Timnah.
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.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit came upon Samson powerfully, with the result that he tore the lion apart with his hands. He did it [as easily] as if it were a young goat. But he did not tell his mother and father about it.
7 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ia, pea alea ia mo e fefine: pea naʻe fiemālie lahi ʻa Samisoni ʻiate ia.
When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much. [And his father made arrangements for the wedding].
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.
Later, when Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to see the carcass of the lion. He discovered that [after other creatures had eaten all the flesh], a swarm of bees [had made a hive in the skeleton and] had made some 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 of the honey into his hands and ate some of it as he was walking along. He also gave some of it to his mother and father, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the skeleton of the lion, [because anyone dedicated to God was not to touch any corpse].
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.
As his father was making the final arrangements for the marriage, Samson gave a party [for the young men in that area]. That was the custom for men to do when they were about to be married.
11 Pea ʻi heʻenau mamata kiate ia, pea pehē, naʻa nau ʻomi ʻae kau tangata ʻe toko tolungofulu ko ʻene kaumeʻa.
Thirty young man were invited to the party.
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.
Samson said to them, “Allow me to tell you a riddle. If you tel me the meaning of my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give each of you a linen robe and an extra set 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 tell me the meaning, you must each give me a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.” They replied, “All right. Tell us your riddle.”
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, “From the thing that eats came something to eat; out of something strong came something sweet.” But for three days they could not tell him the meaning of 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?”
On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s bride, “Ask your husband to tell you the meaning of the riddle. If you do not do that, we will burn down your father’s house, with you inside it! Did you invite us here only to make us poor [by forcing us to buy a lot of clothes for your husband]?”
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?”
So Samson’s wife came to him, crying, and said to him, “You do not really love me. You hate me! You have told a riddle to my friends, but you have not told me the meaning of the riddle!” He replied, “I have not told the meaning of the riddle even to my mother and father, so why should I tell 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 continued to cry every time she was with him, all during the rest of the celebration. Finally, on the seventh day, because she continued to nag him, he told her the meaning of the riddle. Then she told it to the young men.
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.”
So, before sunset on the seventh day, the young men came to Samson and said to him, “What/Nothing is sweeter than honey [RHQ]. What/Nothing is stronger than a lion [RHQ]!” Samson replied, “[You should not force a heifer to] plow a field [MET]. Similarly, if you had not forced my bride to ask me about the riddle [MET], you would not have known the answer to 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 Yahweh’s Spirit powerfully took control of Samson. He went down to [the coast at] Ashkelon [town], and killed 30 men. He took their clothes [and went back to Timnah] and gave them to the men who had told him the meaning of the riddle. But he was very angry about what had happened, so he went back home to live with his mother and father.
20 Ka naʻe ʻatu ʻae uaifi ʻo Samisoni ki heʻene kaumeʻa, ʻaia naʻa ne faʻaki ki ai ko hono kāinga.
So (Samson’s wife was given/the bride’s father gave Samson’s wife) to the man who who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding, [but Samson did not know that].
