14 One day when Samson was in Timnah he noticed a certain Philistine girl, ² and when he got home he told his father and mother that he wanted to marry her. ³ They objected strenuously.

“Why don’t you marry a Jewish girl?” they asked. “Why must you go and get a wife from these heathen Philistines? Isn’t there one girl among all the people of Israel you could marry?”

But Samson told his father, “She is the one I want. Get her for me.”

⁴ His father and mother didn’t realize that the Lord was behind the request, for God was setting a trap for the Philistines, who at that time were the rulers of Israel.

⁵ As Samson and his parents were going to Timnah, a young lion attacked Samson in the vineyards on the outskirts of the town.

⁷ Upon arriving at Timnah, he talked with the girl and found her to be just what he wanted, so the arrangements were made.^[a]

⁸ When he returned for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found a swarm of bees in it and some honey!