Judges 14

¹Samson therefore went down into Thamnatha, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philisthiims,

²he went up and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philisthiims: which I beseech you take for me to wife.

³To whom his father and mother said: Is there not a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, and in all my people, that thou wilt take a wife of the Philisthiims, which are uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father: Take this for me: because she hath pleased mine eyes.

⁴But his parents knew not that the thing was done of our Lord, & he sought an occasion against the Philisthiims, for at that time the Philisthiims had dominion over Israel.

⁵Samson therefore went down with his father and mother into Thamnatha. And when they were come to the vineyards of the town, there appeared a lion's whelp cruel, and roaring, and met him.

⁶And the Spirit of our Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion, as if he should tear a kid into pieces, having nothing at all in his hand: and this thing he would not tell to his father and mother.

⁷And he went down and spake to the woman, that had pleased his eyes.

⁸And after some days returning to take her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion, and a honey comb.

⁹Which when he had taken in his hands, he did eat in the way: and coming to his father and mother, he gave them part, who also themselves did eat: neither would he for all that tell them, that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.

¹⁰His father therefore went down to the woman, and made his son Samson a feast, for so young men were accustomed to do.

¹¹When the citizens therefore of that place had seen him, they gave him thirty companions to be with him.

¹²To whom Samson spake: I will propose you a riddle, which if you shall solve me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty sindons, and as many coats:

¹³but if you shall not be able to solve it, you shall give me thirty sindons, and coats of the same number. Who answered him: Propound the riddle, that we may hear it.

¹⁴And he said to them: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong issued forth sweetness. Neither could they for three days solve the proposition.

¹⁵And when the seventh day was come, they said to the wife of Samson: Speak to thy husband, and use persuasion to him, that he tell thee what the riddle signifieth. Which thing if thou wilt not do, we will burn thee, and thy father's house: have you therefore called us to the bridal that you might spoil us?

¹⁶Who shed tears before Samson, and complained saying: Thou hatest me, and lovest me not: therefore the problem, which thou hast propounded to the sons of my people, thou wilt not expound to me. But he answered: I would not tell it to my father and mother, and can I tell it to thee?

¹⁷The seven days therefore of the feast she wept before him: and at the length the seventh day for that she molested him he expounded it. Who immediately told her country men.

¹⁸And they told it him the seventh day before the going down of the sun: What is sweeter than honey, and what stronger than a lion? Who said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not found out my proposition.

¹⁹The Spirit therefore of our Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and struck there thirty men, whose garments being taken away he gave to them, that had solved the problem. And being exceeding wrath he went up into his father's house:

²⁰but his wife took a husband one of his friends and bridal companions.