THE
BOOK OF JUDGES
Judges Chapter 14
1
¶ Samson went down to Timnath, and at Timnath he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, I have seen one of the
daughters of the Philistines in Timnath: now get her
for me as my wife.
3
Then 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 go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And
Samson said to his father, Get her for me; for I am
pleased with her.
4
But his father and his mother did not know that it was from the LORD,
for he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the
Philistines had dominion over
5
Then Samson went down to Timnath, as did his father
and his mother, and when he came to the vineyards of Timnath,
a young lion roared against him.
6
And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore it apart as he
would have torn apart a baby goat, and he had nothing in his hand: but
he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7
And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass
of the lion: and there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of
the lion.
9
And he took some of it in his hands, and went along eating, and came to his
father and mother, and he gave them some, and they ate it: but he did
not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
10
¶ So his father went down to the woman: and Samson
made a feast there; for that was the customary thing for young men to do.
11
And it came to pass, that when the people saw him, they brought thirty companions
to be with him.
12
And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you: if you can tell
me what it is within the seven days of the feast, and find out its meaning,
I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment:
13
But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen
garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said to him, Tell us your
riddle, that we may hear it.
14
And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came
forth sweetness. And after three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
15
So on the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, Entice
your husband, to explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your
father’s house with fire: have you invited us here to take what we have? or not?
16
And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, You only
hate me, and do not love me: for you have put forth a riddle to the
children of my people, and have not explained it to me. And he said to
her, I have not explained it to my father or my mother, why should I
tell it to you?
17
And she wept before him the remainder of the seven days, while their
feast lasted: and on the seventh day, he told her, because she kept pressing
him: and she explained the riddle to the children of
her people.
18
And on the seventh day, before the sun went down, the men of the city said to
him, 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
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and killed thirty men of the town, and took their
apparel, and gave the changes of garments to the men who explained the riddle.
Then being very angry, he went back to his father’s house.
20
And Samson’s wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.