Judges 14

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he noticed a woman, a Philistine girl.	1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw there one of the Philistine women.
2 He went home again and told his father and mother this. 'At Timnah', he said, 'I noticed a woman, aPhilistine girl. So now get her for me, to be my wife.'	2 On his return he told his father and mother, "There is a Philistine woman I saw in Timnah whom I wish you to get as a wife for me."
3 His father and mother said to him, 'Is there no woman among your brothers' daughters or in our entirenation, for you to go and take a wife among these uncircumcised Philistines?' But Samson said to his father, 'Getthat one for me; she is the one I am fond of.'	3 His father and mother said to him, "Can you find no wife among your kinsfolk or among all our people, that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson answered his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me."
4 His father and mother did not know that al this came from Yahweh, who was seeking grounds for aquarrel with the Philistines, since at this time the Philistines dominated Israel.	4 Now his father and mother did not know that this had been brought about by the LORD, who was providing an opportunity against the Philistines; for at that time they had dominion over Israel.
5 Samson went down to Timnah and, as he reached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a young lioncoming roaring towards him.	5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When they had come to the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came roaring to meet him.
6 The spirit of Yahweh seized on him and he tore the lion to pieces with his bare hands as though it werea kid; but he did not tel his father or mother what he had done.	6 But the spirit of the LORD came upon Samson, and although he had no weapons, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a kid.
7 He went down and talked to the woman, and he became fond of her.	7 However, on the journey to speak for the woman, he did not mention to his father or mother what he had done.
8 Not long after this, Samson went back to marry her. He went out of his way to look at the carcase ofthe lion, and there was a swarm of bees in the lion's body, and honey.	8 Later, when he returned to marry the woman who pleased him, he stepped aside to look at the remains of the lion and found a swarm of bees and honey in the lion's carcass.
9 He took up some honey in his hand and ate it as he went along. On returning to his father and mother,he gave some to them, which they ate too, but he did not tel them that he had taken it from the lion's carcase.	9 So he scooped the honey out into his palms and ate it as he went along. When he came to his father and mother, he gave them some to eat, without telling them that he had scooped the honey from the lion's carcass.
10 His father then went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, as is the custom for youngmen.	10 His father also went down to the woman, and Samson gave a banquet there, since it was customary for the young men to do this.
11 And when the Philistines saw him, they chose thirty companions to stay with him.	11 When they met him, they brought thirty men to be his companions.
12 Samson then said to them, 'Let me ask you a riddle. If you can give me the answer during the sevendays of feasting, I shal give you thirty pieces of fine linen and thirty festal robes.	12 Samson said to them, "Let me propose a riddle to you. If within the seven days of the feast you solve it for me successfully, I will give you thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of garments.
13 But if you cannot tell me the answer, then you in your turn must give me thirty pieces of fine linen andthirty festal robes.' 'Ask your riddle,' they replied, 'we are listening.'	13 But if you cannot answer it for me, you must give me thirty tunics and thirty sets of garments." "Propose your riddle," they responded; "we will listen to it."
14 So he said to them: Out of the eater came what is eaten, and out of the strong came what is sweet.But three days went by and they could not solve the riddle.	14 So he said to them,
15 On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, 'Cajole your husband into explaining the riddle to us, orwe shal burn you and your father's family to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?'	15 they said on the fourth day to Samson's wife, "Coax your husband to answer the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your family. Did you invite us here to reduce us to poverty?"
16 Samson's wife then went to him in tears and said, 'You only hate me, you do not love me. You haveasked my fel ow countrymen a riddle and told not even me the answer.' He said to her, 'I have not told even myfather or mother; why should I tel you?'	16 At Samson's side, his wife wept and said, "You must hate me; you do not love me, for you have proposed a riddle to my countrymen, but have not told me the answer." He said to her, "If I have not told it even to my father or my mother, must I tell it to you?"
17 She wept on his neck for the seven days that their feasting lasted. She was so persistent that on theseventh day he told her the answer, and she told her fel ow-countrymen.	17 But she wept beside him during the seven days the feast lasted. On the seventh day, since she importuned him, he told her the answer, and she explained the riddle to her countrymen.
18 So on the seventh day, before he went into the bedroom, the men of the town said to him: What issweeter than honey, and what stronger than a lion? He retorted: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, youwould never have solved my riddle.	18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,
19 Then the spirit of Yahweh seized on him. He went down to Ashkelon, kil ed thirty men there, tookwhat they wore and gave the festal robes to those who had answered the riddle, then burning with rage returnedto his father's house.	19 The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty of their men and despoiled them; he gave their garments to those who had answered the riddle. Then he went off to his own family in anger,
20 Samson's wife was then given to the companion who had acted as his best man.	20 and Samson's wife was married to the one who had been best man at his wedding.