Judges
Chapter 14
1 Samson went to Timnath and saw a Philistine woman there.
2 He went and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnath from the Philistines; now please get her for me to marry.”
3 His father and mother asked him, “Can’t you find a woman among your relatives or our people? Why do you want to marry a Philistine woman who is not circumcised?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me; I like her.”
4 His parents did not know that God was behind it, as he wanted a reason to confront the Philistines: because the Philistines ruled over Israel then.
5 Samson, his father, and his mother went to Timnath and when they reached the vineyards there, a young lion suddenly roared at him.
6 God’s Spirit came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart as easily as one might tear a young goat, but he did not have any weapon in his hand. Yet he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7 He went down, talked with the woman, and Samson liked her a lot.
8 Later, he went back to marry her, and on the way, he saw the dead lion. Inside it, there were bees and honey.
9 He took some in his hands, ate as he walked, then gave some to his parents, and they ate too. But he didn’t tell them he got the honey from the dead lion’s body.
10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson had a feast there, as young men usually did.
11 When they saw him, they brought thirty friends to stay with him.
12 Samson told them, “I have a riddle for you: if you can solve it during the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty sheets and thirty sets of clothes.”
13 But if you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty sheets and thirty sets of clothes. They said to him, “Tell us your riddle so we can hear it.”
14 He told them, “From the eater came food, and from the strong came sweet.” But they could not solve the riddle in three days.
15 On the seventh day, they told Samson’s wife, “Trick your husband into telling us the answer to his riddle, or we’ll burn you and your father’s home. Did you invite us only to steal from us?”
16 Samson’s wife cried in front of him, saying, “You only hate me, you don’t love me. You’ve given a tricky question to my people but haven’t told me the answer.” He replied, “Look, I haven’t even told my father or mother, so why should I tell you?”
17 She cried in front of him for seven days during their feast. On the seventh day, he gave in and told her the answer because she kept pressing him, and she then explained the puzzle to her people.
18 On the seventh day, before sunset, the city men asked him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He replied, “If you hadn’t used my cow, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle.”
19 God’s Spirit filled him, and he went to Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave clothes to those who solved the riddle. He became very angry and went back to his father’s home.
20 Samson’s wife was given to the friend he had trusted.