| 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 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. 4 But 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.
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 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. 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 unto 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 unto 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 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; 13 but 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. 14 And 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. 15 And 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? 16 And 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? 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
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.
19 And 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. 20 But Samson's wife
was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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