Chapter 14
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 among your brothers’ daughters , or among 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 Yahweh ; 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 Yahweh ’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 plowed with my heifer , you wouldn’t have found out my riddle ."
19 Yahweh ’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 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 .