² There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. ³ And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. ⁴ Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or to eat anything unclean, ⁵ for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite^[a] to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.’ ⁶ Then the woman came and told her husband, ‘A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel^[b] of God, most awe-inspiring; I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name; ⁷ but he said to me, “You shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a nazirite^[c] to God from birth to the day of his death.”’

²⁴ The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. ²⁵ The spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.