Judges 14
Modern English Version
Samson’s Wedding
14 Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman from the daughters of the Philistines. 2 He came back up and told his father and mother, “I have seen a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines; now get her for me as a wife.”
3 His father and mother said to him, “Are there no women among your relatives, or all of our people, that you are intending to take a wife from among the uncircumcised Philistines?”
Yet Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.” 4 His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord, for He was seeking an opportunity to act against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5 Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. As they came to the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and though unarmed, he tore the lion in two as one might tear a young goat in two. However, he did not tell his father and his mother what he had done. 7 So Samson went down and spoke with the woman, and she pleased Samson.
8 After a while, when he returned to take her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He scooped it out into his hands and ate it as he went along. He came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they also ate. Yet he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of a lion’s carcass.
10 Then his father went down to the woman. Samson put on a feast there, for this is what young men would do. 11 When the Philistines saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you can explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will find thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes to give you. 13 However, if you are not able to explain it to me, then you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.”
They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, so we can hear it.”
14 He said to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
and out of the strong came something sweet.”
They could not explain the riddle after three days.
15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Trick your groom into telling us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to steal what we have? Is that not so?”
16 So Samson’s wife wept all over him and said, “You must hate me. You do not love me. You have told a riddle to the young men and did not tell it to me.”
Then he said to her, “I have not told it to my father and mother. Why should I tell it to you?” 17 She wept on him for the seven days of the feast, then on the seventh day he told it to her because she had nagged him. Then she explained the riddle to her people.
18 So on the seventh day before sunset, the men of the city said to Samson,
“What is sweeter than honey,
and what is stronger than a lion?”
Then he 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 mightily came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of their men. He took their clothes and gave them to the ones who had explained the riddle. His anger burned and he went up to his father’s house. 20 So Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
Judges 14
21st Century King James Version
14 And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah 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 Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me for a wife.”
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, “Is there not 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 because of the Lord, and that He sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Then went Samson and his father and his mother down to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; 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 carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass 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 to them, and they ate. But he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the carcass 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 with certainty explain it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments;
13 but if ye cannot explain it to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts and thirty changes 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 explain unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire. Have ye called us to take what 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 to my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it to 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 pressed sorely 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 would not have 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 apparel, and gave changes of garments unto those who 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.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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