The Birth of Samson
(Numbers 6:1–21)

1Bvt the children of Israel continued to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and the Lorde deliuerd them into the handes of the Philistims fourtie yeere.

2Then there was a man in Zorah of the familie of the Danites, named Manoah, whose wife was baren, and bare not. 3And the Angel of the Lorde appeared vnto the woman, and said vnto her, Beholde nowe, thou art baren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceiue, and beare a sonne. 4And nowe therefore beware that thou drinke no wine, nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing. 5For loe, thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne, and no rasor shall come on his head: for the childe shall be a Nazarite vnto God from his birth: and he shall begin to saue Israel out of the handes of the Philistims. 6Then the wife came, and tolde her husband, saying, A man of God came vnto me, and the facion of him was like the facion of the Angel of God exceeding feareful, but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name, 7But he saide vnto me, Beholde, thou shalt conceiue, and beare a sonne, and nowe thou shalt drinke no wine, nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing: for the childe shalbe a Nazarite to God from his birth to the day of his death.

8Then Manoah prayed to the Lorde and saide, I pray thee, my Lorde, Let the man of God, whome thou sentest, come againe nowe vnto vs, and teach vs what we shall doe vnto the child when he is borne. 9And God heard the voyce of Manoah, and the Angel of God came againe vnto the wife, as she sate in the fielde, but Manoah her husbande was not with her. 10And the wife made haste and ranne, and shewed her husbande and sayde vnto him, Behold, the man hath appeared vnto me, that came vnto me to day. 11And Manoah arose & went after his wife, and came to the man, and saide vnto him, Art thou the man that spakest vnto the woman? and he said, Yea. 12Then Manoah sayde, Nowe let thy saying come to passe: but howe shall we order the childe and doe vnto him? 13And the Angell of the Lorde saide vnto Manoah, The woman must beware of all that I said vnto her. 14She may eate of nothing that commeth of the vinetree: she shal not drinke wine nor strong drinke, nor eate any vncleane thing: let her obserue all that I haue commanded her.

15Manoah then said vnto the Angell of the Lorde, I pray thee, let vs reteine thee, vntill we haue made readie a kid for thee. 16And the Angel of the Lord said vnto Manoah, Though thou make me abide, I will not eate of thy bread, and if thou wilt make a burnt offring, offer it vnto the Lorde: for Manoah knewe not that it was an Angel of the Lorde. 17Againe Manoah said vnto the Angell of the Lorde, What is thy name, that when thy saying is come to passe, we may honour thee? 18And the Angell of the Lorde saide vnto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, which is secret? 19Then Manoah tooke a kid with a meate offering, and offered it vpon a stone vnto the Lorde: and the Angell did wonderously, whiles Manoah and his wife looked on. 20For when the flame came vp toward heauen from the altar, the Angel of the Lorde ascended vp in the flame of the altar, and Manoah and his wife behelde it, and fell on their faces vnto the grounde.

21(So the Angel of the Lorde did no more appeare vnto Manoah and his wife.) Then Manoah knewe that it was an Angel of the Lord. 22And Manoah said vnto his wife, We shal surely dye, because we haue seene God. 23But his wife saide vnto him, If the Lorde woulde kill vs, he woulde not haue receiued a burnt offring, and a meate offring of our hands, neither would he haue shewed vs all these things, nor would now haue tolde vs any such.

24And the wife bare a sonne, and called his name Samson: and the childe grewe, and the Lorde blessed him. 25And the Spirite of the Lorde beganne to strengthen him in the host of Dan, betweene Zorah, and Eshtaol.