Judges 14

1 And Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he went up and told his father and his mother. He said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 And his father and his mother said to him, “Are there no daughters among your own brothers? Is there no woman among all my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get this one for me, because she is right in my eyes.” 4 And his father and his mother did not know that it was from the Lord, that he was looking for vengeance on the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. [a]

5 And Samson went down to Timnah, and his father and his mother with him. And he came as far as the vineyard of Timnah, and there was a young lion, roaring, coming to meet him. 6 And the Spirit of the Lord leaped on him, and he crushed the lion as a man crushes a young goat, and there was nothing in his hands. And he did not tell his father and his mother what he had done. [b] 7 And they went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.

8 And after some days he came back to take her, and he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and there was a swarm of bees in the lion’s mouth, and honey. 9 And he took it out into his hands and went on his way, eating as he went. And he came to his father and his mother and gave them some, and they ate; and he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s mouth.

10 And his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a drinking feast there for seven days, because that is what the young men do. 11 And when they saw him, they brought thirty guests, and these stayed with him.

12 And Samson said to them, “Let me put a riddle to you. If you can really tell it to me within the seven days of the drinking feast, and find it out, I will give you thirty linen sheets and thirty sets of clothes; 13 and if you cannot tell me, then it is you who must give me thirty linen cloths and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, and we will hear it.” 14 And he said to them, “What food came out of the eater, and out of the strong, something sweet?” And for three days they could not tell the riddle. [c]

15 And on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Deceive your husband, and let him tell you the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Did you invite us here to take what is ours by force?” [d] 16 And Samson’s wife wept before him and said, “You only hate me; you do not love me. You put a riddle to the sons of my people, and you have not told it to me.” And Samson said to her, “If I have not told my father and my mother, am I to tell you?” 17 And she wept before him the seven days their drinking feast lasted; and on the seventh day he told her, because she wore him down; and she told it to the sons of her people.

18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the sun rose, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have known my riddle.” [e] 19 And the Spirit of the Lord leaped on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of its men and took their clothes, and gave the sets of clothes to those who had told the riddle. And Samson was burning with anger, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to one of his friends, one of those he had been friends with.