Judges
Chapter Fourteen
1 ¶ Now Samson went
down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a
woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her
for me as a wife."
3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the
daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get
a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father,
"Get her for me, for she pleases me well."
4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD-that He was
seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines
had dominion over Israel.
5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the
vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against
him.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart
as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand.
But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass
of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the
lion.
9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his
father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell
them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
10 ¶ So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there,
for young men used to do so.
11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to
be with him.
12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly
solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give
you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.
13 "But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen
garments and thirty changes of clothing." And they said to him, "Pose
your riddle, that we may hear it."
14 So he said to them: "Out of the eater came something to eat, And out
of the strong came something sweet." Now for three days they could not
explain the riddle.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice
your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you
and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what
is ours? Is that not so?"
16 Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, "You only hate me! You do
not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have
not explained it to me." And he said to her, "Look, I have not explained
it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?"
17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened
on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she
explained the riddle to the sons of her people.
18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went
down: "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?"
And he said to them: "If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not
have solved my riddle!"
19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon
and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of
clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and
he went back up to his father's house.
20 And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
Go to Chapter Fifteen
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