Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.
1
The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children.
2
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.
3 The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, "You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son.
3
The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food;
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Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines."
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for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, "A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the angel of God. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.
6
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;
7 But he did tell me that I would become pregnant and have a son. He told me not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food, because the boy is to be dedicated to God as a nazirite as long as he lives."
7
but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, "Please, Lord, let the man of God that you sent come back to us and tell us what we must do with the boy when he is born."
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Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”
9 God did what Manoah asked, and his angel came back to the woman while she was sitting in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her,
9
God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.
10 so she ran at once and told him, "Look! The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again."
10
The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”
11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. He went to the man and asked, "Are you the man who talked to my wife?" "Yes," he answered.
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Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”
12 Then Manoah said, "Now then, when your words come true, what must the boy do? What kind of a life must he lead?"
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Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”
13 The Lord's angel answered, "Your wife must be sure to do everything that I have told her.
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The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine; she must not drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food. She must do everything that I have told her."
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She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”
15 Not knowing that it was the Lord's angel, Manoah said to him, "Please do not go yet. Let us cook a young goat for you." But the angel said, "If I do stay, I will not eat your food. But if you want to prepare it, burn it as an offering to the Lord."
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Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
17 Manoah replied, "Tell us your name, so that we can honor you when your words come true."
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Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
18 The angel asked, "Why do you want to know my name? It is a name of wonder."
18
The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”
19 So Manoah took a young goat and some grain, and offered them on the rock altar to the Lord who works wonders.
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So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.
20 While the flames were going up from the altar, Manoah and his wife saw the Lord's angel go up toward heaven in the flames. Manoah realized then that the man had been the Lord's angel, and he and his wife threw themselves face downward on the ground. They never saw the angel again.
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For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
22 Manoah said to his wife, "We are sure to die, because we have seen God!"
22
Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
23 But his wife answered, "If the Lord had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our offerings; he would not have shown us all this or told us such things at this time."
23
But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”
24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord blessed him.
24
The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 And the Lord's power began to strengthen him while he was between Zorah and Eshtaol in the Camp of Dan.
25
The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.