Judges 14
New King James Version
Samson’s Philistine Wife
14 Now Samson went down (A)to Timnah, and (B)saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, (C)get her for me as a wife.”
3 Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of (D)your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the (E)uncircumcised Philistines?”
And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for [a]she pleases me well.”
4 But his father and mother did not know that it was (F)of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time (G)the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.
Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And (H)the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the (I)carcass of the lion.
10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me (J)pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me (K)within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty (L)changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.”
And they said to him, (M)“Pose 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.”
Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
15 But it came to pass on the [b]seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, (N)“Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, (O)or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?”
16 Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, (P)“You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.”
And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?” 17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained 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 solved my riddle!”
19 Then (Q)the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife (R)was given to his companion, who had been (S)his best man.
Footnotes
- Judges 14:3 Lit. she is right in my eyes
- Judges 14:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. fourth
Oweruza 14
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero
Ukwati wa Samsoni
14 Samsoni anapita ku Timna ndipo kumeneko anaonako mtsikana wa Chifilisiti. 2 Atabwerera kwawo, anawuza abambo ndi amayi ake kuti, “Ine ndaona mtsikana wa Chifilisiti ku Timna, tsono mukanditengere ameneyo kuti akhale mkazi wanga.”
3 Koma abambo ndi amayi ake anayankha kuti, “Kodi palibe mkazi pakati pa abale akowa kapena pakati pa anthu a mtundu wako, kuti iwe upite kukapeza mkazi kwa Afilisti anthu osachita mdulidwe?”
Koma Samsoni anawuza abambo ake kuti, “Kanditengereni ameneyu basi, pakuti ndamukonda.” 4 (Abambo ndi amayi ake sankadziwa kuti zimenezi zinali zochokera kwa Yehova, pakuti Yehova amafuna powapezera chifukwa Afilistiwo. Nthawi imeneyo nʼkuti Afilisti akulamulira Aisraeli). 5 Choncho Samsoni pamodzi ndi abambo ake anapita ku Timna. Akuyandikira minda ya mpesa ya ku Timna, mwadzidzidzi anamva kubuma kwa mkango waungʼono ukubwera kumene kunali iye. 6 Tsono Mzimu wa Yehova unafika ndi mphamvu pa Samsoni ndipo ngakhale analibe chida mʼmanja mwake, iye anakadzula mkangowo ngati akukadzula mwana wambuzi. Koma sanawuze abambo kapena amayi ake zimene anachitazo. 7 Kenaka Samsoni anapita kukakambirana ndi mkaziyo, ndipo anamukonda mtsikanayo.
8 Patapita nthawi, Samsoni anabwerera kukatenga mtsikana uja. Panjira anapatuka kukaona mkango unawupha uja, ndipo anangoona njuchi zili mu mkangowo pamodzi ndi uchi wake. 9 Tsono anakomberako uchi uja mʼmanja mwake ndi kumapita akudya. Atabwereranso kwa abambo ndi amayi ake, anawapatsako uchiwo ndipo anadya. Koma sanawawuze kuti uchi umenewo anawufula mu mkango wakufa.
10 Tsopano Samsoni anapita ku nyumba kwa mtsikanayo. Ndipo kumeneko Samsoni anakonza phwando monga ankachitira anyamata. 11 Makolo a mkwatibwiyo atamuona, anasankha anyamata makumi atatu kuti akhale naye.
12 Samsoni anawawuza kuti, “Bwanji ndikuphereni mwambi. Mukandiwuza tanthauzo lake asanathe masiku asanu ndi awiri aphwandowa, ndidzakupatsani zovala makumi atatu za bafuta ndi zina makumi atatu za tsiku la chikondwerero. 13 Koma ngati simutha kundiwuza tanthauzo lake, inuyo mudzandipatsa zovala makumi atatu zabafuta ndi zina za tsiku la chikondwerero.”
Iwo anamuyankha kuti, “Tiwuze mwambi wakowo tiwumve.”
14 Iye anati,
“Chakudya chinatuluka mu chinthu chodya chinzake;
ndipo chozuna chinatuluka mu chinthu champhamvu.”
Panapita masiku atatu anthuwo akulephera kumasulira mwambiwo.
15 Tsiku lachinayi anthuwo anawuza mkazi wa Samsoni kuti, “Umunyengerere mwamuna wako kuti akuwuze tanthauzo la mwambiwu. Ngati sutero tikutentha iweyo pamodzi ndi nyumba ya abambo ako. Kodi unatiyitana kuti mudzatilande zinthu zathu?”
16 Kenaka mkazi wa Samsoni anayamba kulira pamaso pake namuwuza kuti, “Inu mumandida ndipo simundikonda. Mwaphera anyamata a mtundu wathu mwambi, koma ine wosandiwuza tanthauzo lake.”
Samsoni anamuyankha kuti, “Taona sindinawuze abambo kapena amayi anga, ndiye ndiwuze iweyo?” 17 Mkaziyo anamulirira masiku onse asanu ndi awiri aphwandowo. Choncho pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwiri anamuwuza tanthauzo lake popeza amamukakamiza. Ndipo mkaziyo anakawuza abale ake aja tanthauzo la mwambiwo.
18 Pambuyo pake anthu a mu mzinda aja anamuwuza Samsoni pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwiri dzuwa lisanalowe kuti,
“Chozuna nʼchiyani choposa uchi?
Champhamvu nʼchiyani choposa mkango?”
Samsoni anawawuza kuti,
“Mukanapanda kutipula ndi ngʼombe yanga yayingʼono,
simukanatha kumasulira mwambi wangawu.”
19 Ndipo Mzimu wa Yehova unafika pa iye mwamphamvu. Choncho anatsikira ku Asikeloni naphako anthu makumi atatu, natenga zovala zawo za tsiku la chikondwerero napereka kwa anthu amene anamasulira mwambi wake. Kenaka anabwerera ku nyumba ya abambo ake ndi mkwiyo waukulu. 20 Ndipo mkazi wa Samsoniyo anamukwatitsa kwa amene anali mnzake womuperekeza pa ukwati paja.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Word of God in Contemporary Chichewa Copyright © 2002, 2016 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Mwini © 2002, 2016 ndi Biblica, Inc.® Kugwiritsa ntchito mwachilolezo. Umwini ndi otetezedwa pa dziko lonse.