1Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah among the daughters of the Philistines.
2He came up and told his father and his mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah among the daughters of the Philistines; now then, get her for me as a wife.”
3But his father and his mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen, or among all my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
4His father and his mother did not know that this was from Yahweh, for he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring to meet him.
6Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon him, and he tore it apart as one tears 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.
7Then he went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.
8After some days he returned to take her, and he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9He scraped it out into his palms and went along, eating as he went; and he came to his father and his mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.
10Then his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.
11And when they saw him, they took thirty companions, and they were with him.
12And Samson said to them, “Let me now pose a riddle to you. If you can indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.
13But if you are not able to tell it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.”
14So he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” And for three days they could not tell the riddle.
15And it happened on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Did you invite us to impoverish us? Is it not so?”
16So Samson’s wife wept over him and said, “You only hate me and do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but to me you have not told it.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or my mother; and should I tell it to you?”
17And she wept over him the seven days that their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she had pressed him hard; then she told the riddle to the sons of her people.
18And 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.”
19Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of them; he took their spoil and gave the changes of clothing to those who had told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
20And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
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