Judges 14:10-20

International Children’s Bible

¹⁰ Samson’s father went down to see the Philistine woman. The custom was for the bridegroom to give a feast. So Samson gave a feast. ¹¹ When the people saw him, they sent 30 men to be with him.

Samson’s Riddle

¹² Then Samson said to the 30 men, “Let me tell you a riddle. This feast will last for seven days. Try to find the answer during that time. If you can, I will give you 30 linen shirts. I will also give you 30 changes of clothes. ¹³ But if you can’t tell me the answer, you must pay me. You must give me 30 linen shirts and 30 changes of clothes.”

So they said, “Tell us your riddle. We want to hear it.”

¹⁴ Samson said,

The 30 men tried for three days to figure it out. But they could not find the answer.

¹⁵ On the fourth^[a] day, they came to Samson’s wife. They said, “Did you invite us here to make us poor? Trick your husband into telling us the answer to the riddle. If you don’t, we will burn you and everyone in your father’s house!”

¹⁶ So Samson’s wife went to him and began crying. She said, “You hate me! You don’t really love me! You told my people a riddle, but you won’t tell me the answer.”

Samson said, “I haven’t even told my father or mother. Why should I tell you?”

¹⁷ Samson’s wife cried for the rest of the seven days of the feast. So he finally gave her the answer on the seventh day. He told her because she kept bothering him. Then she told her people the answer to the riddle.

¹⁸ Before sunset on the seventh day of the feast, the Philistine men had the answer. They came to Samson and said,

Then Samson said to them,

¹⁹ The Spirit of the Lord entered Samson and gave him great power. Samson went down to the city of Ashkelon. He killed 30 of their men and took all their clothes and property. He gave those clothes to the men who had answered his riddle. Then he went to his father’s house very angry. ²⁰ And Samson’s wife was given to his best man at the wedding.