Judges 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 The Israelites again offended the LORD, who therefore delivered them into the power of the Philistines for forty years.	1 Again the Israelites began doing what is evil in Yahweh's eyes, and Yahweh delivered them into thepower of the Philistines for forty years.
2 There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children.	2 There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, cal ed Manoah. His wife was barren; she had borne nochildren.
3 An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son.	3 The Angel of Yahweh appeared to this woman and said to her, 'You are barren and have had no child,but you are going to conceive and give birth to a son.
4 Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean.	4 From now on, take great care. Drink no wine or fermented liquor, and eat nothing unclean.
5 As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines."	5 For you are going to conceive and give birth to a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy is to beGod's nazirite from his mother's womb; and he wil start rescuing Israel from the power of the Philistines.'
6 The woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.	6 The woman then went and told her husband, 'A man of God has just come to me, who looked like theAngel of God, so majestic was he. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tel me his name.
7 But he said to me, 'You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.'"	7 But he said to me, "You are going to conceive and wil give birth to a son. From now on, drink no wineor fermented liquor, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy is to be God's nazirite from his mother's womb to hisdying day." '
8 Manoah then prayed to the LORD. "O LORD, I beseech you," he said, "may the man of God whom you sent, return to us to teach us what to do for the boy who will be born."	8 Manoah then pleaded with Yahweh and said, 'I beg you, Lord, let the man of God that you sent cometo us again and instruct us what to do about the child when he is born.'
9 God heard the prayer of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field. Since her husband Manoah was not with her,	9 Yahweh heard Manoah's prayer, and the Angel of Yahweh visited the woman again while she wassitting in a field and when her husband Manoah was not with her.
10 the woman ran in haste and told her husband. "The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me," she said to him;	10 The woman quickly ran and told her husband, 'Look,' she said, 'the man who came to me the otherday has appeared to me again.'
11 so Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he reached the man, he said to him, "Are you the one who spoke to my wife?" "Yes," he answered.	11 Manoah got up, followed his wife, came to the man and said to him, 'Are you the man who spoke tothis woman?' He replied, 'I am.'
12 Then Manoah asked, "Now, when that which you say comes true, what are we expected to do for the boy?"	12 Manoah then said, 'When your words come true, what wil be the boy's way of life?'
13 The angel of the LORD answered Manoah, "Your wife is to abstain from all the things of which I spoke to her.	13 The Angel of Yahweh replied to Manoah, 'From everything that I forbade this woman, let her abstain.
14 She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor take wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. Let her observe all that I have commanded her."	14 Let her swal ow nothing that comes from the vine, let her drink no wine or fermented liquor, let her eatnothing unclean and let her obey al the orders that I have given her.'
15 Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Can we persuade you to stay, while we prepare a kid for you?"	15 Manoah then said to the Angel of Yahweh, 'Al ow us to detain you while we prepare a kid for you' --for Manoah did not know that this was the Angel of Yahweh.
16 But the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, "Although you press me, I will not partake of your food. But if you will, you may offer a holocaust to the LORD."Not knowing that it was the angel of the LORD,	16 The Angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, 'Even if you did detain me, I should not eat your food; but ifyou wish to prepare a burnt offering, offer it to Yahweh.'
17 Manoah said to him, "What is your name, that we may honor you when your words come true?"	17 Manoah then said to the Angel of Yahweh, 'What is your name, so that we may honour you whenyour words come true?'
18 The angel of the LORD answered him, "Why do you ask my name, which is mysterious?"	18 The Angel of Yahweh replied, 'Why ask my name? It is a name of wonder.'
19 Then Manoah took the kid with a cereal offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, whose works are mysteries. While Manoah and his wife were looking on,	19 Manoah then took the kid and the oblation and offered it on the rock as a burnt offering to Yahwehthe Wonderworker. Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 as the flame rose to the sky from the altar, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell prostrate to the ground;	20 Now, as the flame rose heavenwards from the altar, the Angel of Yahweh ascended in this flamebefore the eyes of Manoah and his wife, and they fel face downwards on the ground.
21 but the angel of the LORD was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah, realizing that it was the angel of the LORD,	21 After this, the Angel of Yahweh did not appear any more to Manoah and his wife, but Manoahunderstood that this had been the Angel of Yahweh.
22 said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God."	22 And Manoah said to his wife, 'We are certain to die, because we have seen God.'
23 But his wife pointed out to him, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a holocaust and cereal offering from our hands! Nor would he have let us see all this just now, or hear what we have heard."	23 His wife replied, 'If Yahweh had meant to kil us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering andoblation from us, he would not have let us see all this and, at the same time, have told us such things.'
24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;	24 The woman gave birth to a son and cal ed him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him;
25 the spirit of the LORD first stirred him in Mahaneh-dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol.	25 and the spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in the Camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.