1. Then
Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah,
one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2. So he came
back and told his father and mother, ""I saw a woman
in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines;
now therefore, get her for me as a wife.''
3. Then his
father and his mother said to him, ""Is there no woman
among the daughters of your relatives, or among all
our people, that you go to take a wife from the
uncircumcised Philistines?'' But Samson said to his
father, ""Get her for me, for she looks good to
me.''
4. However, his
father and mother did not know that it was of the
LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the
Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were
ruling over Israel.
5. Then Samson
went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and
came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a
young lion came roaring toward him.
6. The Spirit of
the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him
as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his
hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he
had done.
7. So he went
down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to
Samson.
8. When he
returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at
the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees
and honey were in the body of the lion.
9. So he scraped
the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he
went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave
some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them
that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the
lion.
10. Then his
father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast
there, for the young men customarily did
this.
11. When they
saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with
him.
12. Then Samson
said to them, ""Let me now propound a riddle to you;
if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days
of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you
thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of
clothes.
13. ""But if you
are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty
linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.'' And they
said to him, ""Propound your riddle, that we may hear
it.''
14. So he said
to them, ""Out of the eater came something to eat, And
out of the strong came something sweet.'' But they
could not tell the riddle in three days.
15. Then it came
about on the fourth day that they said to Samson's
wife, "" Entice your husband, so that he will tell us
the riddle, or we will burn you and your father's
house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us?
Is this not so?''
16. Samson's
wife wept before him and said, "" You only hate me,
and you do not love me; you have propounded a riddle
to the sons of my people, and have not told it to
me.'' And he said to her, ""Behold, I have not told it
to my father or mother; so should I tell
you?''
17. However she
wept before him seven days while their feast lasted.
And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed
him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of
her people.
18. So 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
you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have
found out my riddle.''
19. Then the
Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went
down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took
their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those
who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went
up to his father's house.
20. But Samson's
wife was given to his companion who had been his
friend.