Samson’s Marriage
And Samson went down to Timnah; and he saw a woman at Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines.
And he went up and told his father and his mother, and said, “I have seen a woman at Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines. And now, take her for me as a wife.”
And his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Take her for me — for she is right in my eyes.”
And his father and his mother did not know that it was from the LORD — for he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
And Samson went down, with his father and his mother, to Timnah; and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah — and look, a young lion roaring to meet him.
And the spirit of the LORD rushed on him, and he tore it apart as one tears apart a young goat — and there was nothing at all in his hand. And he did not tell his father and his mother what he had done.
And he went down and spoke to the woman; and she was right in the eyes of Samson.
Samson’s Riddle
And he returned after some days to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion — and look, a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
And he scraped it into his palms, and went on, walking and eating; and he went to his father and to his mother and gave some to them, and they ate. And he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.
And his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.
And it was, when they saw him, that they took thirty companions, and they were with him.
And Samson said to them: “Let me pose you a riddle. If you can surely tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.
But if you cannot tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, and let us hear it.”
And he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” And they could not tell the riddle for three days.
And it was on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife: “Entice your husband, so that he tells us the riddle — lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Did you invite us here to impoverish us?”
And Samson’s wife wept over him and said, “You only hate me; you do not love me. You have posed the riddle to the sons of my people, and me you have not told.” And he said to her, “Look — I have not told my father or my mother; shall I tell you?”
And she wept over him the seven days that they had the feast. And it was on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him; and she told the riddle to the sons of her people.
And 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.”
And the spirit of the LORD rushed on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of clothes to those who had told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.