Judges 14

1 And Samson went down to ^aTimnath,¹ and ^bsaw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore ^cget her for me to wife.

3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of ^dthy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the ^euncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth² me well.³

4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was ^fof the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines ^ghad dominion over Israel.

5 ¶ Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.⁴

6 And^h the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he ⁱrent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but^k he told not his father or his mother what he had done.⁵

7 And he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8 ¶ And after a time he returned to ^ltake her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and⁶ honey in the carcass of the lion.⁷

9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

10 ¶ So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson ^mmade there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11 And it came to pass, when they ⁿsaw him, that they brought ^othirty companions to be with him.

12 ¶ And Samson said unto them, I ^pwill now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the ^qseven days of the feast,⁸ and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets,⁹ and thirty change of garments:

13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets, and thirty ^rchange of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14 And he said unto them, ^sOut of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And ^tthey could not in three days expound the riddle.

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, ^uEntice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest^x we burn thee and thy father's house with fire:¹ have ye called us to take that we have?² is it not so?

16 And Samson's wife ^ywept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

17 And she wept before him the seven days,³ while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her,⁴ because she lay sore upon him: and ^zshe told the riddle to the children of her people.

18 And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my ^aheifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19 ¶ And^b the Spirit of the LORD came upon him,⁵ and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil,⁶ and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle: and his ^canger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his ^dfriend.