1
Samson went down to Timnah. There in Timnah a woman caught his eye, a Philistine girl.
2
He came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, a Philistine girl; get her for me as my wife."
3
His parents said to him, "Isn't there a woman among the girls in the neighborhood of our people? Do you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the one I want - she's the right one."
4
(His father and mother had no idea that God was behind this, that he was arranging an opportunity against the Philistines. At the time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.)
5
Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When he got to the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came at him, roaring.
6
The Spirit of God came on him powerfully and he ripped it open barehanded, like tearing a young goat. But he didn't tell his parents what he had done.
7
Then he went on down and spoke to the woman. In Samson's eyes, she was the one.
8
Some days later when he came back to get her, he made a little detour to look at what was left of the lion. And there a wonder: a swarm of bees in the lion's carcass - and honey!
9
He scooped it up in his hands and kept going, eating as he went. He rejoined his father and mother and gave some to them and they ate. But he didn't tell them that he had scooped out the honey from the lion's carcass.
10
His father went on down to make arrangements with the woman, while Samson prepared a feast there. That's what the young men did in those days.
11
Because the people were wary of him, they arranged for thirty friends to mingle with him.