Samson Takes a Philistine as His Wife

1Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2So he came back up and told his father and [†]mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now, take her for me as a wife.” 3But his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your [†]relatives, or among all [†]our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” 4However, his father and mother did not know that it was of Yahweh, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

5Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6And the Spirit of Yahweh [†]came upon him mightily, so that he tore it as one tears a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7So he went down and spoke to the woman; and she was right in the eyes of Samson. 8Then he returned later to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9So he scraped [†]the honey into his [†]hands and went on, eating as he went. Then he went to his father and mother, and he gave some to them, and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.

10Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11Now it happened that when they saw him, they took thirty companions to be with him. 12Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes. 13But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propound your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14So he said to them,

“Out of the eater came something to eat,

And out of the strong came something sweet.” But they could not tell the riddle in three days.

15Then it happened on the [†]fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16So Samson’s wife wept before him and said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have propounded a riddle to the sons of my people and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?” 17However she wept before him seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. 18So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

“What is sweeter than honey?

And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,

You would not have found out my riddle.”

19Then the Spirit of Yahweh [†]came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. 20But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his [†]friend.