[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, and
said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines:
now therefore get her for me as wife. [3] Then his father and his mother
said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brothers,
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 had rule over Israel. [5] Then went Samson down, and his father
and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and,
behold, a young lion roared against him. [6] The Spirit of Yahweh came
mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a kid; and he had
nothing in his hand: 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 turned aside
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; and 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 body of the lion. [10] His father went down to the woman: and Samson
made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. [11] It happened, when
they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. [12]
Samson said to them, Let me now put forth a riddle to you: if you can
declare it to me 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 declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen
garments and thirty changes of clothing. They said to him, Put forth your
riddle, that we may hear it. [14] He said to them, Out of the eater came
forth food, Out of the strong came forth sweetness.	They couldn`t in
three days declare the riddle. [15] It happened on the seventh day, that
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? is it not [so]? [16] Samson`s wife wept before
him, and said, You do but hate me, and don`t love me: you have put forth a
riddle to the children of my people, and haven`t told it me. He said to
her, Behold, I haven`t told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell
you? [17] She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and
it happened on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him
sore; 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? and 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] The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he went down to
Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the
changes [of clothing] to those who declared the riddle. His anger was
kindled, and he went up to his father`s house. [20] But Samson`s wife was
[given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.