1
And Samson went··down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2
And he came and told his father and his mother and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now take her to me to wife.
3
And his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among◦ the daughters of thy brothers and among◦ all thy people, that thou◦ goest◦ to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto▵ his father, Take her for me, for◦ she◦ is··upright in my eyes.
4
And his father and his mother knew not that it◦ was from Jehovah, that He◦ sought an occasion against the Philistines. And at that◦ time the Philistines ruled over◦ Israel.
5
And Samson went··down, and his father and his mother, toward Timnath, and they came to◦ the vineyards toward Timnath; and, behold, a young··lion of the lions roared at◦ meeting him.
6
And the Spirit of Jehovah came··mightily on him, and he tore· it ·open as he would have torn··open a kid, and there was not◦ anything in his hand; and he told not his father or◦ his mother what he had done.
7
And he went··down and spoke to the woman, and she was··upright in the eyes of Samson.
8
And after some days he returned to take her, and he turned··aside to see the fallen lion, and, behold, a gathering* of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9
And he took· it ·out into his palms and went, walking and eating; and he went to▵ his father and to▵ his mother, and gave to them and they did eat; and he told them not that he had taken··out the honey from the body of the lion.
10
And his father went··down unto▵ the woman, and Samson made there a feast; for◦ thus◦ the young··men would do.
11
And it was, when they saw him, that they took thirty companions, and they were with◦ him.
12
And Samson said to them, I will now◦ riddle a riddle to you; if telling you tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give to you thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments.
13
But if you cannot tell it to me, then shall you◦ give me thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy 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 were· not ·able to tell the riddle for three days.
15
And it was, on◦ the seventh day, that they said to the wife of Samson, entice thy husband◦ that he tell us the riddle, lest we burn· thee ·up and the house of thy father with fire; have you called us to take away our possessions?* Have you not?
16
And the wife of Samson wept upon him and said, Thou only hatest me and lovest me not; thou hast put forth a riddle* to the sons of my people, and hast not told it unto me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it to my father nor to my mother, and shall I tell it to you?
17
And she wept upon him seven days, in which they had◦ the feast; and it was, on◦ the seventh day, that he told her, for she caused· him ·anguish. And she told the riddle to the sons of her people.
18
And the men◦ of the city said to him on◦ the seventh day before◦ the sun◦ went··in, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, Unless you had plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.
19
And the spirit of Jehovah came··mightily on him, and he went··down to Ashkelon, and smote of them◦ thirty men◦, and took their changes··of··vestments, and gave the changes of garments to those who told the riddle. And his anger was··fierce, and he went··up to the house of his father.
20
And the wife of Samson was given to his companion, who was··a··companion to him.
