THE BOOK OF
JUDGES

Judges 14 ©

Samson, seeking opportunity to execute his office against the Philistines, desires to wife, a daughter of the Philistines of Timnath, vs. 1, 2, 4, etc. Wherein his parents, being not well contented, nevertheless gratify him, 3. On the way he meets and tears a young lion, 5. In whose carcass at his return he finds honey, 8. Keeps a marriage-feast, and propounded a riddle to his adjoined Philistine-companions, with a promise and a condition of a reward, 10. The exposition whereof, his wife, by the instigation of the Philistines, extorts from him, and discovers, 15. Wherefore Samson slays thirty Philistines of Ashkelon, and pays his companions the promised present, 19. His wife is given to another, 20.

1

AND Samson went down to 1Timnath, and saw 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 2get her for me to wife.

3

Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy 3brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the 4uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, 5Get her for me; for she pleaseth me 6well.

4

But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the 7LORD, that 8he sought an occasion 9against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had 10dominion over Israel.

5

¶Then went Samson down, and his 11father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a 12young lion roared against him.

6

And the Spirit of the LORD came 13mightily upon him, and he rent 14him as he would have rent a kid, and he had 15nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

7

And he went down, and 16talked with the woman; and she 17pleased Samson well.

8

¶And 18after a time he returned to 19take her, and he turned 20aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

9

And he took 21thereof 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 carcase of the lion.

10

¶So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there 22a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11

And it came to pass, when 23they saw him, that they 24brought thirty companions to be with him.

12

¶And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a 25riddle unto you: if ye can 26certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty 27sheets 28and thirty 29change of garments:

13

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

14

And he said unto them, 30Out of the 31eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth 32sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15

And it came to pass on the 33seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, 34Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that 35we have? 36is it not so?

16

And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, 37Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the 38children 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 39seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she 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 plowed with my 40heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19

¶And the Spirit of the LORD 41came upon him, and he went down to 42Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their 43spoil, and gave 44change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his 45father’s house.

20

But Samson’s wife 46was given to 47his companion, whom 48he had used as his friend.