1 Samson went down to Timnah, and saw
a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the
Philistines.
2 He came up, and told his father and his
mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in
Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”
3 Then his father and his mother said to
him, “Isn’t there a woman amongst your
brothers’ daughters, or amongst all my
people, that you go to take a wife of the
uncircumcised Philistines?”
Samson said to his father, “Get her for
me, for she pleases me well.”
4 But his father and his mother didn’t
know that it was of the LORD; for he sought
an occasion against the Philistines. Now at
that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down to Timnah
with his father and his mother, and came
to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a
young lion roared at him.
6 The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on
him, and he tore him as he would have torn
a young goat with his bare hands, but he
didn’t tell his father or his mother what he
had done.
7 He went down and talked with the
woman, and she pleased Samson well.
8 After a while he returned to take her,
and he went over to see the carcass of the
lion; and behold, there was a swarm of
bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9 He took it into his hands, and went on,
eating as he went. He came to his father
and mother and gave to them, and they ate,
but he didn’t tell them that he had taken
the honey out of the lion’s body.
10 His father went down to the woman;
and Samson made a feast there, for the
young men used to do so.
11 When they saw him, they brought
thirty companions to be with him.
12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you
a riddle now. If you can tell me the answer
within the seven days of the feast, and
find it out, then I will give you thirty linen
garments and thirty changes of clothing;
13 but if you can’t tell me the answer,
then you shall give me thirty linen garments
and thirty changes of clothing.”
They said to him, “Tell us your riddle,
that we may hear it.”
14 He said to them,
“Out of the eater came out food.
Out of the strong came out sweetness.”
They couldn’t in three days declare the
riddle.
15 On the seventh day, 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? Isn’t
that so?” 16 Samson’s wife wept before him, and
said, “You just hate me, and don’t love me.
You’ve told a riddle to the children of my
people, and haven’t told it to me.”
He said to her, “Behold, I haven’t told my
father or my mother, so why should I tell
you?”
17 She wept before him the seven days,
while their feast lasted; and on the seventh
day, he told her, because she pressed him
severely; and she told the riddle to the
children of her people.
18 The men of the city said to him on
the seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey? What is
stronger than a lion?”
He said to them,
“If you hadn’t ploughed with my heifer,
you wouldn’t have found out my riddle.”
19 The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on
him, and he went down to Ashkelon and
struck thirty men of them. He took their
plunder, then gave the changes of clothing
to those who declared the riddle. His anger
burnt, and he went up to his father’s house.
20 But Samson’s wife was given to his
companion, who had been his friend.
