25AND IT BEGAN [THE] SPIRIT OF YAHWEH TO STIR HIM IN MAHANEH DAN BETWEEN ZORAH AND BETWEEN ESHTAOL 25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan,*NoteCloseMahaneh-dan means camp of Dan. between Zorah and Eshtaol.
1AND HE WENT DOWN SAMSON TIMNAH TOWARDS AND HE SAW A WOMAN IN TIMNAH <TOWARDS> ONE OF [THE] DAUGHTERS OF [THE] PHILISTINES Samson’s Marriage 1One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2AND HE WENT UP AND HE TOLD TO FATHER HIS AND TO MOTHER HIS AND HE SAID A WOMAN I HAVE SEEN IN TIMNAH <TOWARDS> ONE OF [THE] DAUGHTERS OF [THE] PHILISTINES AND NOW GET <OBJ.> HER FOR <THE> ME TO A WIFE 2So he returned and told his father and mother “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
3AND HE SAID TO <THE> HIM FATHER HIS AND MOTHER HIS ¿ [IS] THERE NOT AMONG [THE] DAUGHTERS OF BROTHERS YOUR AND AMONG ALL PEOPLE MY A WOMAN THAT YOU [ARE] GOING TO TAKE A WIFE FROM [THE] PHILISTINES <THE> UNCIRCUMCISED AND HE SAID SAMSON TO FATHER HIS <OBJ.> HER GET FOR <THE> ME FOR SHE SHE IS PLEASING IN VIEW MY 3But his father and mother replied “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”
4AND FATHER HIS AND MOTHER HIS NOT THEY KNEW THAT [WAS] FROM YAHWEH IT FOR AN OCCASION HE [WAS] SEEKING FROM [THE] PHILISTINES AND AT THE TIME <THE> THAT [THE] PHILISTINES [WERE] RULING OVER ISRAEL 4(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
5AND HE WENT DOWN SAMSON AND FATHER HIS AND MOTHER HIS TIMNAH TOWARDS AND THEY CAME TO [THE] VINEYARDS OF TIMNAH <TOWARDS> AND THERE! A YOUNG LION OF LIONS [WAS] ROARING TO MEET HIM 5Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him,
6AND IT RUSHED ON HIM [THE] SPIRIT OF YAHWEH AND HE TORE APART IT AS TEARS APART <THE> KID AND [WAS] ANYTHING THERE NOT IN HAND HIS AND NOT HE TOLD TO FATHER HIS AND TO MOTHER HIS <OBJ.> [THAT] WHICH HE HAD DONE 6and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7AND HE WENT DOWN AND HE SPOKE TO THE WOMAN AND SHE WAS PLEASING IN [THE] EYES OF SAMSON 7Then Samson continued on his way down and spoke to the woman, because she was pleasing to his eyes.
8AND HE RETURNED FROM DAYS TO TAKE HER AND HE TURNED ASIDE TO SEE <OBJ.> [THE] CARCASS OF THE LION AND THERE! A SWARM OF BEES [WAS] IN [THE] CARCASS OF THE LION AND HONEY Samson’s Riddle 8When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey.
9AND HE SCRAPED OUT IT INTO PALMS HIS AND HE WENT CONTINUOUSLY <TO GO> AND EATING AND HE CAME TO FATHER HIS AND TO MOTHER HIS AND HE GAVE TO <THE> THEM AND THEY ATE AND NOT HE TOLD TO <THE> THEM THAT FROM [THE] CARCASS OF THE LION HE HAD SCRAPED OUT THE HONEY 9So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
10AND HE WENT DOWN FATHER HIS TO THE WOMAN AND HE PREPARED THERE SAMSON A FEAST FOR THUS THEY DID THE YOUNG MEN 10Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
11AND IT WAS WHEN SAW THEY <OBJ.> HIM AND THEY TOOK THIRTY COMPANIONS AND THEY WERE WITH HIM 11And when the Philistines saw him,*NoteCloseOr when the bride’s parents saw him; literally when they saw him they selected thirty men to accompany him.
12AND HE SAID TO <THE> THEM SAMSON LET ME ASK A RIDDLE PLEASE TO YOU A RIDDLE <IF> CERTAINLY [IF] <TO TELL> YOU WILL TELL <OBJ.> IT TO <THE> ME [THE] SEVEN [THE] DAYS OF THE FEAST AND YOU WILL FIND [IT] OUT AND I WILL GIVE TO <THE> YOU THIRTY LINEN GARMENTS AND THIRTY CHANGES OF GARMENTS 12“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
13AND IF NOT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL TO <THE> ME AND YOU WILL GIVE YOU TO <THE> ME THIRTY LINEN GARMENTS AND THIRTY CHANGES OF GARMENTS AND THEY SAID TO <THE> HIM ASK [THE] RIDDLE! RIDDLE YOUR SO WE MAY HEAR IT 13But if you cannot solve it you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they replied “Let us hear it.”
14AND HE SAID TO <THE> THEM FROM THE EATER IT CAME OUT FOOD AND FROM A STRONG [ONE] IT CAME OUT A SWEET [THING] AND NOT THEY WERE ABLE TO TELL THE RIDDLE THREE DAYS 14So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
15AND IT WAS ON THE DAY <THE> SEVENTH AND THEY SAID TO [THE] WIFE OF SAMSON ENTICE <OBJ.> HUSBAND YOUR SO MAY HE TELL TO <THE> US <OBJ.> THE RIDDLE LEST WE SHOULD BURN <OBJ.> YOU AND <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF FATHER YOUR WITH <THE> FIRE ¿ TO IMPOVERISH US DID YOU INVITE <TO> <THE> US ¿ [IS IT] NOT [SO] 15So on the fourth*NoteCloseLXX and Syriac; Hebrew seventh day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
16AND SHE WEPT [THE] WIFE OF SAMSON OVER HIM AND SHE SAID ONLY YOU HATE ME AND NOT YOU LOVE ME THE RIDDLE YOU HAVE ASKED [THE] RIDDLE TO [THE] SONS OF PEOPLE MY AND TO <THE> ME NOT YOU HAVE TOLD AND HE SAID TO <THE> HER HERE! TO FATHER MY AND TO MOTHER MY NOT I HAVE TOLD AND TO <THE> [WHY] YOU WILL I TELL? 16Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”
17AND SHE WEPT OVER HIM [THE] SEVEN THE DAYS WHICH IT BELONGED TO <THE> THEM THE FEAST AND IT WAS ON THE DAY <THE> SEVENTH AND HE TOLD TO <THE> HER FOR SHE PRESSED HIM AND SHE TOLD THE RIDDLE TO [THE] SONS OF PEOPLE HER 17She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.
18AND THEY SAID TO <THE> HIM [THE] MEN OF THE CITY ON THE DAY <THE> SEVENTH <IN> BEFORE IT WENT THE SUN <TOWARDS> WHAT? [IS] SWEET MORE THAN HONEY AND WHAT? [IS] STRONG MORE THAN A LION AND HE SAID TO <THE> THEM IF NOT YOU HAD PLOWED WITH HEIFER MY NOT YOU FOUND OUT RIDDLE MY 18Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to Samson: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” So he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”
19AND IT RUSHED ON HIM [THE] SPIRIT OF YAHWEH AND HE WENT DOWN ASHKELON AND HE STRUCK DOWN OF <THE> THEM THIRTY MAN AND HE TOOK <OBJ.> SPOILS THEIR AND HE GAVE THE CHANGES TO [THOSE WHO] TOLD <OF> THE RIDDLE AND IT BURNED ANGER HIS AND HE WENT UP [THE] HOUSE OF FATHER HIS 19Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,
20AND SHE BELONGED [THE] WIFE OF SAMSON TO COMPANION HIS WHO HE WAS A SPECIAL FRIEND TO <THE> HIM 20and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.