Judges 14

1And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

1Samson went down to Timnah and saw a young Philistine woman there.

2And 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.

2When he returned, he told his father and mother, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me to be my wife."

3Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

3His father and mother asked him, "Isn't there a woman among your own relatives or all our people? Why must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to find a wife?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She is the right one for me."

4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

4His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was looking for an opportunity to act against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

5Then 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.

5Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came roaring toward him.

6And the Spirit of Jehovah 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.

6The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as if it were a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

7And he went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

7Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her very much.

8And 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.

8Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey.

9And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat: but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.

9He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he reached his father and mother, he gave them some to eat, but he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass.

10And his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

10His father went down to see the woman, and Samson hosted a feast there, as was the custom for young men.

11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

11When the Philistines saw him, they chose thirty companions to be with him.

12And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto 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;

12Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you can solve it for me during the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothes.

13but if ye cannot declare it unto me, then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

13But if you cannot tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothes." They replied, "Tell us your riddle; let’s hear it."

14And he said unto 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.

14He said to them, "Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet." For three days they could not solve the riddle.

15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to impoverish us? is it not so?

15On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, "Coax your husband into explaining the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?"

16And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee?

16Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You gave my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." He replied, "Look, I haven't even told my father or mother, so why should I tell you?"

17And 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.

17She cried in front of him through the rest of the seven days of the feast. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she kept nagging him. Then she told the answer to her people.

18And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.

18Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the town said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle."

19And the Spirit of Jehovah 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 unto them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

19Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings, and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went back to his father’s house.

20But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

20And Samson’s wife was given to one of the companions who had been his best man.