14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath
of the daughters of the Philistines.
14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and
said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the
Philistines: now therefore get her for me for a wife.
14:3 Then his father and his mother said to him, [Is there] not
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 to his father, Get her for me; for
she pleaseth me well.
14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it [was] of the
LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for
at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to
Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and behold, a
young lion roared against him.
14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD 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.
14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she
pleased Samson well.
14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned
aside to see the carcass of the lion: and behold, [there was] a
swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.
14:9 And he took of it in his hands, and went on eating, and
came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they ate:
but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the
carcass of the lion.
14:10 So his father went down to the woman: and Samson made
there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
14:11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought
thirty companions to be with him.
14:12 And Samson said to them, I will now propose a riddle to
you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of
the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty
sheets and thirty change of garments:
14:13 But if ye cannot declare [it] to me, then shall ye give me
thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said to
him, propose thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14:14 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 expound the riddle.
14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to
Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare to us
the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire:
have ye called us to take what we possess? [is it] not [so]?
14:16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but
hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast proposed a riddle to the
children of my people, and hast not told [it] to me. And he
said to her, Behold, I have not told [it] to my father nor to
my mother, and shall I tell [it] to thee?
14:17 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 urged him: and she told the riddle to the
children of her people.
14:18 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 ye had
not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down
to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil,
and gave change of garments to them who expounded the riddle.
And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's
house.
14:20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had
used as his friend.
|