Judg 14
1
And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the
Philistines.
2
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman
in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3
Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters
of your brethren, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised
Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well.
4
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of YHWH; for he sought an occasion
against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.
5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards
of Timnah: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6
And the Spirit of YHWH came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent
a kid; and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what
he had done.
7
And he went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.
8
And after a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass
of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9
And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his
father and mother, and gave to them, and they did eat: but he told them not that he
had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.
10
And his father went down to the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used
the young men to do.
11
And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be
with him.
12
And Samson said to them, Let me now put forth a riddle to you: if you can declare
it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you
thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
13
but if you cannot declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen garments and
thirty changes of raiment. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may
hear it.
14
And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, And out of the strong came
forth sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle.
15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson`s wife, Entice your
husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father`s
house with fire: have you called us to impoverish us? is it not [so]?
16
And Samson`s wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and love me not:
you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and have not told it me.
And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall
I tell you?
17
And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass
on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him sore; and she told the
riddle to the children of her people.
18
And 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 had not found out my riddle.
19
And the Spirit of YHWH came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote
thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes [of raiment] to them
that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father`s
house.
20
But Samson`s wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.