Domarboken 14
Svenska Folkbibeln
Simsons bröllop och hans gåta
14 Simson gick ner till Timna, och där fick han se en kvinna, en av filisteernas döttrar. 2 När han kom tillbaka sade han till sin far och mor: "Jag har sett en kvinna i Timna, en av filisteernas döttrar. Hämta henne åt mig till hustru ." 3 Hans far och mor sade till honom: "Finns det då ingen kvinna bland dina bröders döttrar och i hela mitt folk, eftersom du vill gå bort och ta dig en hustru från de oomskurna filisteerna?" Simson sade till sin far: "Ge mig henne, för hon är den rätta i mina ögon." 4 Men hans far och mor visste inte att detta kom från Herren, som sökte en anledning till strid med filisteerna. På den tiden härskade nämligen filisteerna över Israel.
5 Simson gick med sin far och mor ner till Timna. Men just när de kom fram till vingårdarna vid Timna, kom ett ungt lejon rytande emot honom. 6 Då föll Herrens Ande över honom, och han slet sönder lejonet med bara händerna, som vore det en killing. Men han talade inte om för sin far och mor vad han hade gjort. 7 När han kom dit ner talade han med kvinnan, och hon var den rätta i Simsons ögon.
8 En tid därefter vände han tillbaka för att hämta henne och vek då av vägen för att se på det döda lejonet. Och se, det fanns en bisvärm och honung i lejonets kropp. 9 Han skrapade ut honungen i sina händer och åt av den medan han gick. Han kom till sin far och mor och gav till dem, och de åt. Men han talade inte om för dem att han hade skrapat honungen ur lejonets kropp.
10 Simsons far gick ner till kvinnan, och Simson ordnade en fest, för så brukade de unga männen göra. 11 När de fick se honom hämtade de trettio bröllopssvenner, som skulle vara tillsammans med honom. 12 Simson sade till dem: "Jag skall ge er en gåta. Om ni under de sju festdagarna ger mig lösningen på den och gissar rätt, skall jag ge er trettio fina linneskjortor och trettio högtidsdräkter. 13 Men om ni inte kan säga mig lösningen, skall ni ge mig trettio fina linneskjortor och trettio högtidsdräkter." De sade till honom: "Berätta, låt oss höra din gåta!"
14 Då sade han till dem:
"Från storätaren utgick ätbart,
från den starke kom sötma."
Men under tre dagar kunde de inte lösa gåtan.
15 På sjunde dagen sade de till Simsons hustru: "Locka din man att ge oss lösningen på gåtan, annars bränner vi upp dig och din fars hus. Ni har väl inte bjudit hit oss för att utarma oss?" 16 Och Simsons hustru låg över honom med gråt och sade: "Du hatar mig bara och älskar mig inte alls. Du har lagt fram en gåta för mina landsmän, men för mig har du inte talat om lösningen." Han svarade: "Varken för min far eller min mor har jag talat om lösningen. Skulle jag då tala om den för dig?" 17 Då hon legat över honom med gråt under de sju festdagarna, gav han henne lösningen den sjunde dagen eftersom hon pressade honom hårt. Sedan talade hon om den för sina landsmän. 18 Innan solen gick ner på sjunde dagen, gav männen i staden honom sitt svar:
"Vad är sötare än honung,
och vad är starkare än ett lejon?"
Då sade han till dem:
"Hade ni inte plöjt med min kviga,
hade ni inte gissat min gåta."
19 Herrens Ande kom över honom, och han gick ner till Askelon och slog ihjäl trettio män och tog deras kläder och gav högtidsdräkterna åt dem som hade sagt lösningen på gåtan. I stor vrede vände han tillbaka till sin fars hus. 20 Och Simsons hustru gavs åt den av hans bröllopssvenner som hade varit hans marskalk.
Judges 14
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Samson’s Riddle
14 Samson went down to Timnah(A) and saw a young Philistine woman there. 2 He went back and told his father and his mother: “I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
3 But his father and mother said to him, “Can’t you find[a] a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines for a wife?”
But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, because I want her.”[b] 4 Now his father and mother did not know this was from the Lord,(B) who was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5 Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him, 6 the Spirit of the Lord took control of[c](C) him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 Then he went and spoke to the woman, because Samson wanted her.[d]
8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and there was a swarm of bees with honey in the carcass. 9 He scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. When he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had scooped the honey from the lion’s carcass.(D)
10 His father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as young men were accustomed to do. 11 When the Philistines saw him, they brought 30 men to accompany him.
12 “Let me tell you a riddle,”(E) Samson said to them. “If you can explain it to me during the seven days of the feast and figure it out, I will give you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. 13 But if you can’t explain it to me, you must give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes.”
“Tell us your riddle,” they replied.[e] “Let’s hear it.”
14 So he said to them:
Out of the eater came something to eat,
and out of the strong came something sweet.
After three days, they were unable to explain the riddle. 15 On the fourth[f] day they said to Samson’s wife, “Persuade your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
16 So Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me and don’t love me!(F) You told my people the riddle, but haven’t explained it to me.”
“Look,” he said,[g] “I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”
17 She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and at last, on the seventh day, he explained it to her, because she had nagged him so much. Then she explained it to her people. 18 On the seventh day, before sunset, the men of the city said to him:
What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?
So he said to them:
If you hadn’t plowed with my young cow,
you wouldn’t know my riddle now!
19 The Spirit of the Lord took control of him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 of their men. He stripped them and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. In a rage, Samson returned to his father’s house, 20 and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
Footnotes
- Judges 14:3 Lit Is there not
- Judges 14:3 Lit because she is right in my eyes
- Judges 14:6 Lit Lord rushed on
- Judges 14:7 Lit because she was right in the eyes of Samson
- Judges 14:13 Lit replied to him
- Judges 14:15 LXX, Syr; MT reads seventh
- Judges 14:16 Lit said to her
Judges 14
King James Version
14 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
1996, 1998 by Stiftelsen Svenska Folkbibeln
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