The Latin Vulgate VUL
Good News Translation GNT
1 descendit igitur Samson in Thamnatha vidensque ibi mulierem de filiabus Philisthim
1
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he noticed a certain young Philistine woman.
2 ascendit et nuntiavit patri suo et matri dicens vidi mulierem in Thamnatha de filiabus Philisthinorum quam quaeso ut mihi accipiatis uxorem
2
He went back home and told his father and mother, "There is a Philistine woman down at Timnah who caught my attention. Get her for me; I want to marry her."
3 cui dixerunt pater et mater sua numquid non est mulier in filiabus fratrum tuorum et in omni populo meo quia vis accipere uxorem de Philisthim qui incircumcisi sunt dixitque Samson ad patrem suum hanc mihi accipe quia placuit oculis meis
3
But his father and mother asked him, "Why do you have to go to those heathen Philistines to get a wife? Can't you find someone in our own clan, among all our people?" But Samson told his father, "She is the one I want you to get for me. I like her."
4 parentes autem eius nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret et quaereret occasionem contra Philisthim eo enim tempore Philisthim dominabantur Israheli
4
His parents did not know that it was the Lord who was leading Samson to do this, for the Lord was looking for a chance to fight the Philistines. At this time the Philistines were ruling Israel.
5 descendit itaque Samson cum patre suo et matre in Thamnatha cumque venissent ad vineas oppidi apparuit catulus leonis saevus rugiens et occurrit ei
5
So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. As they were going through the vineyards there, he heard a young lion roaring.
6 inruit autem spiritus Domini in Samson et dilaceravit leonem quasi hedum in frusta concerperet nihil omnino habens in manu et hoc patri et matri noluit indicare
6
Suddenly the power of the Lord made Samson strong, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands, as if it were a young goat. But he did not tell his parents what he had done.
7 descenditque et locutus est mulieri quae placuerat oculis eius
7
Then he went and talked to the young woman, and he liked her.
8 et post aliquot dies revertens ut acciperet eam declinavit ut videret cadaver leonis et ecce examen apium in ore leonis erat ac favus mellis
8
A few days later Samson went back to marry her. On the way he left the road to look at the lion he had killed, and he was surprised to find a swarm of bees and some honey inside the dead body.
9 quem cum sumpsisset in manibus comedebat in via veniensque ad patrem suum et matrem dedit eis partem qui et ipsi comederunt nec tamen eis voluit indicare quod mel de corpore leonis adsumpserat
9
He scraped the honey out into his hands and ate it as he walked along. Then he went to his father and mother and gave them some. They ate it, but Samson did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the dead body of a lion.
10 descendit itaque pater eius ad mulierem et fecit filio suo Samson convivium sic enim iuvenes facere consuerant
10
His father went to the woman's house, and Samson gave a banquet there. This was a custom among the young men.
11 cum igitur cives loci vidissent eum dederunt ei sodales triginta qui essent cum eo
11
When the Philistines saw him, they sent thirty young men to stay with him.
12 quibus locutus est Samson proponam vobis problema quod si solveritis mihi intra septem dies convivii dabo vobis triginta sindones et totidem tunicas
12
Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. I'll bet each one of you a piece of fine linen and a change of fine clothes that you can't tell me its meaning before the seven days of the wedding feast are over." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."
13 sin autem non potueritis solvere vos dabitis mihi triginta sindones et eiusdem numeri tunicas qui responderunt ei propone problema ut audiamus
14 dixitque eis de comedente exivit cibus et de forte est egressa dulcedo nec potuerunt per tres dies propositionem solvere
14
He said, "Out of the eater came something to eat; Out of the strong came something sweet." Three days later they had still not figured out what the riddle meant.
15 cumque adesset dies septimus dixerunt ad uxorem Samson blandire viro tuo et suade ei ut indicet tibi quid significet problema quod si facere nolueris incendimus et te et domum patris tui an idcirco nos vocastis ad nuptias ut spoliaretis
15
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Trick your husband into telling us what the riddle means. If you don't, we'll set fire to your father's house and burn you with it. You two invited us so that you could rob us, didn't you?"
16 quae fundebat apud Samson lacrimas et querebatur dicens odisti me et non diligis idcirco problema quod proposuisti filiis populi mei non vis mihi exponere at ille respondit patri meo et matri nolui dicere et tibi indicare potero
16
So Samson's wife went to him in tears and said, "You don't love me! You just hate me! You told my friends a riddle and didn't tell me what it means!" He said, "Look, I haven't even told my father and mother. Why should I tell you?"
17 septem igitur diebus convivii flebat apud eum tandemque die septimo cum ei molesta esset exposuit quae statim indicavit civibus suis
17
She cried about it for the whole seven days of the feast. But on the seventh day he told her what the riddle meant, for she nagged him so about it. Then she told the Philistines.
18 et illi dixerunt ei die septimo ante solis occubitum quid dulcius melle et quid leone fortius qui ait ad eos si non arassetis in vitula mea non invenissetis propositionem meam
18
So on the seventh day, before Samson went into the bedroom, the men of the city said to him, "What could be sweeter than honey? What could be stronger than a lion?" Samson replied, "If you hadn't been plowing with my cow, You wouldn't know the answer now."
19 inruit itaque in eo spiritus Domini descenditque Ascalonem et percussit ibi triginta viros quorum ablatas vestes dedit his qui problema solverant iratusque nimis ascendit in domum patris sui
19
Suddenly the power of the Lord made him strong, and he went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty men, stripped them, and gave their fine clothes to the men who had solved the riddle. After that, he went back home, furious about what had happened,
20 uxor autem eius accepit maritum unum de amicis eius et pronubis
20
and his wife was given to the man that had been his best man at the wedding.
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.