Judges 14

Revised Geneva Translation

14 Now 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, give me her as a wife.”

³ Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there never a wife among the daughters of your brethren, and among all my people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Give me her, for she pleases me well.”

⁴ But his father and his mother did not know that it came from the LORD, that he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines reigned over Israel.

⁵ Then Samson and his father and his mother went down to Timnah and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared upon him.

⁶ And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he tore him as one would have torn a kid. And he had nothing in his hand, nor did he tell his father or his mother what he had done.

⁷ And he went down and talked with the woman, who was beautiful in the eyes of Samson.

⁸ And within a few days, when he returned to marry her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees, and honey in the body of the lion.

⁹ And he took it in his hands and began eating and came to his father and to his mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.

¹⁰ So, his father went down to the woman. And Samson made a feast there. For so the young men used to do.

¹¹ And when they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

¹² Then Samson said to them, “I will now put forth a riddle to you. And if you can declare it to me within seven days of the feast, and solve it, I will give you thirty sheets and thirty changes of clothes.

¹³ “But if you cannot declare it me, then you shall give me thirty sheets and thirty changes of clothes.” And they answered him, “Put forth your riddle, so that we may hear it.”

¹⁴ And he said to them, “Out of the eater came food, and out of the strong came sweetness.” And they could not solve the riddle within three days.

¹⁵ And when the seventh day had come, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband so that he may explain the riddle to us, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to steal from us? Is it not so?”

¹⁶ And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, “Surely you hate me and do not love me! For you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people and have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or my mother; and shall I tell it to you?”

¹⁷ Then Samson’s wife wept before him for seven days, while their feast lasted. And when the seventh day came, he explained it to her (because she pressed upon him so much). So, she explained the riddle to the children of her people.

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?” Then he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.”

¹⁹ And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him. And he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men and plundered them and gave changes of clothing to those who explained the riddle. And his wrath was kindled; and he went up to his father’s house.

²⁰ Then Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.