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Judges 14

Common English Bible CEB

1 Samson traveled down to Timnah. While he was in Timnah, a Philistine woman caught his eye.

2 He went back home and told his father and mother, "A Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye; now get her for me as a wife!"

3 But his father and mother replied to him, "Is there no woman among your own relatives or among all our people that you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" Yet Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, because she's the one I want!"

4 His father and mother didn't know that the LORD was behind this. He was looking for an opening with the Philistines, because they were ruling over Israel at that time.

5 Then Samson traveled down to Timnah with his father and mother. When he came to the vineyards in Timnah, suddenly a lone young lion came roaring to meet him.

6 The LORD's spirit rushed over him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one might tear apart a young goat. But he didn't tell his father or mother what he had done.

7 Then he traveled down and talked with the woman; she was the one Samson wanted.

8 After a while, he came back again to marry her. He turned aside to look at the lion's remains, and there was a swarm of bees with honey inside the lion's skeleton.

9 He scooped the honey into his hands, eating it as he continued along. When he got to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them that he had scooped the honey from the lion's skeleton.

10 His father traveled down to the woman, and Samson put on a feast there, as was the custom for young men.

11 When the townspeople saw him, they selected thirty companions to be with him.

12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you can figure it out and tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I'll give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.

13 But if you can't tell me the answer, then it's you who have to give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes." So they replied to him, "Tell your riddle; let's hear it."

14 He said to them, "Out of the eater there came something to eat. Out of the strong there came something sweet." For three days they couldn't tell the answer to the riddle.

15 On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Seduce your husband so he'll tell us the answer to the riddle, or else we'll set fire to you and your household. Were we invited here just to become poor?"

16 So Samson's wife cried on his shoulder and said, "You hate me! You don't love me! You told a riddle to my people but didn't tell me the answer." He replied to her, "Look, I haven't even told the answer to my father and mother. Why should I tell it to you?"

17 But she cried on his shoulder for the rest of the seven days of the feast. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her the answer, for she had nagged him. And she told her people the answer to the riddle.

18 So on the seventh day, before the sun set, the townspeople said to him, "What's sweeter than honey? What's stronger than a lion?" He replied to them, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have figured out my riddle!"

19 Then the LORD's spirit rushed over him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty of their men, stripped them of their gear, and gave the sets of clothes to the ones who had told the answer to the riddle. In anger, he went back up to his father's household.

20 And Samson's wife married one of those who had been his companions.

The Message Bible MSG

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.

12 Samson said to them: "Let me put a riddle to you. If you can figure it out during the seven days of the feast, I'll give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of fine clothing.

13 But if you can't figure it out then you'll give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of fine clothing."

14 So he said, From the eater came something to eat, From the strong came something sweet.

15 On the fourth day they said to Samson's bride, "Worm the answer out of your husband or we'll burn you and your father's household. Have you invited us here to bankrupt us?"

16 So Samson's bride turned on the tears, saying to him, "You hate me. You don't love me. You've told a riddle to my people but you won't even tell me the answer." He said, "I haven't told my own parents - why would I tell you?"

17 But she turned on the tears all the seven days of the feast. On the seventh day, worn out by her nagging, he told her. Then she went and told it to her people.

18 The men of the town came to him on the seventh day, just before sunset and said, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And Samson said, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, You wouldn't have found out my riddle.

19 Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, stripped them, and gave their clothing to those who had solved the riddle. Stalking out, smoking with anger, he went home to his father's house.

20 Samson's bride became the wife of the best man at his wedding.