Judges 14

vayyered shimshon timnatah vayyar isha betimnatah mibbenot pelishtim

Once Samson went down to Timnah; and while in Timnah, he noticed a certain young Philistine woman.

vayya'al vayyagged le'aviv ule'immo vayyomer isha ra'iti vetimnatah mibbenot pelishtim ve'attah qekhu-otah li le'isha

On his return, he told his father and mother, “I noticed one of the Philistine women in Timnah; please get her for me as a wife.”

vayyomer lo aviv ve'immo ha'en bivnot akhekha uvekhol-ammi isha ki-attah holekh laqakhat isha mippelishtim ha'arelim vayyomer shimshon el-aviv otah qakh-li ki-hi yoshrah ve'enay

His father and mother said to him, “Is there no one among the daughters of your own kindred and among all our people, that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson answered his father, “Get me that one, for she is the one that pleases me.”

ve'aviv ve'immo lo yade'u ki me-Adonai hi ki-to'anah hu-mevaqqesh mippelishtim uva'et hahi pelishtim moshelim beyisra'el

His father and mother did not realize that his request was from GOD, who was seeking a pretext against the Philistines, for the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time.

vayyered shimshon ve'aviv ve'immo timnatah vayyavo'u ad-karme timnatah vehinneh kefir arayot sho'eg liqrato

So Samson and his father and mother went down to Timnah. When he came to the vineyards of Timnah [for the first time], a full-grown lion came roaring at him.

vattitslakh alayw ruakh Adonai vayeshasse'ehu keshassa haggedi ume'umah en beyado velo higgid le'aviv ule'immo et asher asah

The spirit of GOD gripped him, and he tore him asunder with his bare hands as one might tear a kid asunder; but he did not tell his father and mother what he had done.

vayyered vayedabber la'isha vattishar be'ene shimshon

Then he went down and spoke to the woman, and she pleased Samson.

vayyashov miyyamim leqakhtah vayyasar lirot et mappelet ha'aryeh vehinneh adat devorim bigviyyat ha'aryeh udevash

Returning the following year to marry her, he turned aside to look at the remains of the lion; and in the lion’s skeleton he found a swarm of bees, and honey.

vayyirdehu el-kappayw vayyelekh halokh ve'akhol vayyelekh el-aviv ve'el-immo vayyitten lahem vayyokhelu velo-higgid lahem ki miggeviyyat ha'aryeh radah haddevash

He scooped it into his palms and ate it as he went along. When he rejoined his father and mother, he gave them some and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scooped the honey out of a lion’s skeleton.

vayyered avihu el-ha'isha vayya'as sham shimshon mishteh ki ken ya'asu habbakhurim

So his father came down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, as young men used to do.

vayehi kirotam oto vayyiqkhu sheloshim mere'im vayyihyu itto

When the people of Timnah saw him, they designated thirty companions to be with him.

vayyomer lahem shimshon akhudah-nna lakhem khidah im-hagged taggidu otah li shivat yeme hammishteh umetsatem venatatti lakhem sheloshim sedinim usheloshim khalifot begadim

Then Samson said to them, “Let me propound a riddle to you. If you can give me the right answer during the seven days of the feast, I shall give you thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothing;

ve'im-lo tukhelu lehaggid li unetattem attem li sheloshim sedinim usheloshim khalifot begadim vayyomeru lo khudah khidatekha venishma'ennah

but if you are not able to tell it to me, you must give me thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothing.” And they said to him, “Ask your riddle and we will listen.”

vayyomer lahem meha'okhel yatsa ma'akhal ume'az yatsa matoq velo yakhelu lehaggid hakhidah sheloshet yamim

So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, Out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they could not answer the riddle.

vayehi bayyom hashevi'i vayyomeru le'eshet-shimshon patti et-ishekh veyagged-lanu et-hakhidah pen-nisrof otakh ve'et-bet avikh ba'esh haleyorshenu qeratem lanu halo

On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband to provide us with the answer to the riddle; else we shall put you and your father’s household to the fire; have you invited us here in order to impoverish us?”

vattevk eshet shimshon alayw vattomer raq-senetani velo ahavtani hakhidah khadta livne ammi veli lo higgadtah vayyomer lah hinneh le'avi ule'immi lo higgadti velakh aggid

Then Samson’s wife harassed him with tears, and she said, “You really hate me, you don’t love me. You asked my people a riddle, and you didn’t tell me the answer.” He replied, “I haven’t even told my father and mother; shall I tell you?”

vattevk alayw shivat hayyamim asher-hayah lahem hammishteh vayehi bayyom hashevi'i vayyagged-lah ki hetsiqathu vattagged hakhidah livne ammah

During the rest of the seven days of the feast she continued to harass him with her tears, and on the seventh day he told her, because she nagged him so. And she explained the riddle to her people.

vayyomeru lo anshe ha'ir bayyom hashevi'i beterem yavo hakharsah mah-mmatoq middevash umeh az me'ari vayyomer lahem lule kharashtem be'eglati lo metsatem khidati

On the seventh day, before the sunset, the townspeople said to him: “What is sweeter than honey, And what is stronger than a lion?” He responded: “Had you not plowed with my heifer, You would not have guessed my riddle!”

vattitslakh alayw ruakh Adonai vayyered ashqelon vayyakh mehem sheloshim ish vayyiqqakh et-khalitsotam vayyitten hakhalifot lemaggide hakhidah vayyikhar appo vayya'al bet avihu

The spirit of GOD gripped him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of its men. He stripped them and gave the sets of clothing to those who had answered the riddle. And he left in a rage for his father’s house.

vattehi eshet shimshon lemere'ehu asher re'ah lo

Samson’s wife then got married to one of those who had been his wedding companions.