Samson’s Marriage

14 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. So he came [a]back and told his father and [b]mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your [c](A)relatives, or among all [d]our people, that you go to (B)take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she [e]looks good to me.” However, his father and mother did not know that (C)it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. (D)The Spirit of the Lord [f]came upon him mightily, so that (E)he tore him 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. So he went down and talked to the woman; and she [g]looked good to Samson. When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. So he scraped [h]the honey into his [i]hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, 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.

10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

Samson’s Riddle

12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now (F)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 (G)changes of clothes. 13 But 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.” 14 So 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.

15 Then it came about on the [j]fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “(H)Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, (I)or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16 Samson’s wife wept before him and said, “(J)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?” 17 However 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. 18 So 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.”

19 Then (K)the Spirit of the Lord [k]came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed 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. 20 But Samson’s wife was (L)given to his companion who had been his [l]friend.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:2 Lit up
  2. Judges 14:2 Lit mother, saying,
  3. Judges 14:3 Lit brothers
  4. Judges 14:3 Lit my
  5. Judges 14:3 Lit is right in my eyes
  6. Judges 14:6 Lit rushed upon
  7. Judges 14:7 Lit was right in Samson’s eyes
  8. Judges 14:9 Lit it
  9. Judges 14:9 Lit palms
  10. Judges 14:15 So with some ancient versions; Heb seventh
  11. Judges 14:19 Lit rushed upon
  12. Judges 14:20 Or best man

Samson’s Marriage

14 Samson(A) went down to Timnah(B) and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”(C)

His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people?(D) Must you go to the uncircumcised(E) Philistines to get a wife?(F)

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord,(G) who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines;(H) for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)(I)

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him(J) so that he tore the lion apart(K) with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.

Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.

10 Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast,(L) as was customary for young men. 11 When the people saw him, they chose thirty men to be his companions.

12 “Let me tell you a riddle,(M)” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast,(N) I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.(O) 13 If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.”

“Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”

14 He replied,

“Out of the eater, something to eat;
    out of the strong, something sweet.”(P)

For three days they could not give the answer.

15 On the fourth[a] day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax(Q) your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death.(R) Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

16 Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me.(S) You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.”

“I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?” 17 She cried the whole seven days(T) of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”(U)

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.(V) He went down to Ashkelon,(W) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,(X) he returned to his father’s home. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to one of his companions(Y) who had attended him at the feast.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew seventh

The Lord Gives Dominion to the King.

A Psalm of David.

110 (A)The Lord says to my Lord:
(B)Sit at My right hand
Until I make (C)Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
The Lord will stretch forth Your strong (D)scepter from Zion, saying,
(E)Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
Your (F)people [a]will volunteer freely in the day of Your [b]power;
(G)In [c]holy array, from the womb of the dawn,
[d]Your youth are to You as the (H)dew.

(I)The Lord has sworn and will (J)not [e]change His mind,
“You are a (K)priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is (L)at Your right hand;
He [f]will (M)shatter kings in the (N)day of His wrath.
He will (O)judge among the nations,
He [g]will fill them with (P)corpses,
He [h]will (Q)shatter the [i]chief men over a broad country.
He will (R)drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will (S)lift up His head.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 110:3 Lit will be freewill offerings
  2. Psalm 110:3 Or army
  3. Psalm 110:3 Or the splendor of holiness
  4. Psalm 110:3 Or The dew of Your youth is Yours
  5. Psalm 110:4 Lit be sorry
  6. Psalm 110:5 Or has shattered
  7. Psalm 110:6 Or has filled
  8. Psalm 110:6 Or has shattered
  9. Psalm 110:6 Lit head over

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

The Lord says(A) to my lord:[a]

“Sit at my right hand(B)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”(C)

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter(D) from Zion,(E) saying,
    “Rule(F) in the midst of your enemies!”
Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,(G)
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.[b](H)

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(I)
“You are a priest forever,(J)
    in the order of Melchizedek.(K)

The Lord is at your right hand[c];(L)
    he will crush kings(M) on the day of his wrath.(N)
He will judge the nations,(O) heaping up the dead(P)
    and crushing the rulers(Q) of the whole earth.
He will drink from a brook along the way,[d]
    and so he will lift his head high.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 110:1 Or Lord
  2. Psalm 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  3. Psalm 110:5 Or My lord is at your right hand, Lord
  4. Psalm 110:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

All the World Guilty

Then what [a]advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that (A)they were entrusted with the (B)oracles of God. What then? If (C)some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? (D)May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found (E)a liar, as it is written,

(F)That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You [d]are judged.”

But if our unrighteousness [e](G)demonstrates the righteousness of God, (H)what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? ((I)I am speaking in human terms.) (J)May it never be! For otherwise, how will (K)God judge the world? But if through my lie (L)the truth of God abounded to His glory, (M)why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “(N)Let us do evil that good may come”? [f]Their condemnation is just.

What then? [g](O)Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both (P)Jews and (Q)Greeks are (R)all under sin; 10 as it is written,

(S)There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 (T)Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
(U)The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 (V)Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 (W)Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 (X)There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the (Y)Law says, it speaks to (Z)those who are [h]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and (AA)all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because (AB)by the works [i]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for [j](AC)through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart [k]from the Law (AD)the righteousness of God has been manifested, being (AE)witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the (AF)righteousness of God through (AG)faith (AH)in Jesus Christ for (AI)all those [l]who believe; for (AJ)there is no distinction; 23 for all [m](AK)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift (AL)by His grace through (AM)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as (AN)a [n]propitiation [o](AO)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [p]because in the (AP)forbearance of God He (AQ)passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [q]has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is (AR)boasting? It is excluded. By (AS)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [r]For (AT)we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works [s]of the Law. 29 Or (AU)is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed (AV)God (AW)who will justify the [t]circumcised [u]by faith and the [v]uncircumcised through faith (AX)is one.

31 Do we then nullify [w]the Law through faith? (AY)May it never be! On the contrary, we (AZ)establish the Law.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
  2. Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
  3. Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
  4. Romans 3:4 Lit in Your judging
  5. Romans 3:5 Or commends
  6. Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
  7. Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
  8. Romans 3:19 Lit in
  9. Romans 3:20 Or of law
  10. Romans 3:20 Or through law
  11. Romans 3:21 Or from law
  12. Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is no distinction, since they all have sinned...and are being justified
  13. Romans 3:23 Or sinned
  14. Romans 3:25 Or a propitiatory sacrifice
  15. Romans 3:25 Or by
  16. Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed in the forbearance of God
  17. Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
  18. Romans 3:28 One early ms reads Therefore
  19. Romans 3:28 Or of law
  20. Romans 3:30 Lit circumcision
  21. Romans 3:30 Lit out of
  22. Romans 3:30 Lit uncircumcision
  23. Romans 3:31 Or law

God’s Faithfulness

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)

What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”[a](G)

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(O) 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[b](P)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[c](Q)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d](R)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e](S)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f](T)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g](U)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(V) it says to those who are under the law,(W) so that every mouth may be silenced(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.(Y) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(AA)

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(AC) 22 This righteousness(AD) is given through faith(AE) in[h] Jesus Christ(AF) to all who believe.(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AH) 23 for all have sinned(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AJ) freely by his grace(AK) through the redemption(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AO) 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting?(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AR) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AS) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
  2. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  3. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  4. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  5. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  6. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  7. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
  8. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
  9. Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).