Judges 14

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw there one of the Philistine women.	1 Then Samson descended to Timnah. And seeing there a woman from the daughters of the Philistines,
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."	2 he went up, and he told his father and his mother, saying: “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. I ask that you take her to me as wife.”
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."	3 And his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, so that you would be willing to take a wife from the Philistines, who are uncircumcised?” And Samson said to his father: “Take this woman to me. For she has pleased my eyes.”
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.	4 Now his parents did not know that the matter was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
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.	5 And so, Samson descended with his father and mother to Timnah. And when they had arrived at the vineyards of the town, he saw a young lion, savage and roaring, and it met him.
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.	6 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, and he tore apart the lion, like a young goat being torn into pieces, having nothing at all in his hand. And he was not willing to reveal this to his father and mother.
7 However, on the journey to speak for the woman, he did not mention to his father or mother what he had done.	7 And he went down and spoke to the woman who had pleased his eyes.
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.	8 And after some days, returning to marry her, he turned aside so that he might see the carcass of the lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion, with a honeycomb.
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.	9 And when he had taken it in his hands, he ate it along the way. And arriving to his father and mother, he gave them a portion, and they also ate it. Yet he was not willing to reveal to them that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.
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.	10 And so his father went down to the woman, and he made a feast for his son Samson. For so the young men were accustomed to do.
11 When they met him, they brought thirty men to be his companions.	11 And when the citizens of that place had seen him, they presented to him thirty companions to be with him.
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.	12 And Samson said to them: “I will propose to you a problem, which, if you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty shirts and the same number of tunics.
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."	13 But if you are not able to solve it, you shall give me thirty shirts and the same number of tunics.” And they answered him, “Propose the problem, so that we may hear it.”
14 So he said to them,	14 And he said to them, “Food went forth from that which eats, and sweetness went forth from that which is strong.” And they were unable to solve the proposition for three days.
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?"	15 And when the seventh day had arrived, they said to the wife of Samson: “Coax your husband, and persuade him to reveal to you what the proposition means. But if you are not willing to do so, we will burn you and your father’s house. Or have you called us to the wedding in order to despoil us?”
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?"	16 And she shed tears before Samson, and she complained, saying: “You hate me, and you do not love me. That is why you do not want to explain to me the problem, which you have proposed to the sons of my people.” But he responded: “I was not willing to reveal it to my father and mother. And so, how can I reveal it to you?”
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.	17 Therefore, she wept before him during the seven days of the feast. And at length, on the seventh day, since she had been troubling him, he explained it. And immediately she revealed it to her countrymen.
18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,	18 And they, on the seventh day, before the sun declined, said to him: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have uncovered my proposition.”
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,	19 And so the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he descended to Ashkelon, and in that place he struck down thirty men. And taking away their garments, he gave them to those who had solved the problem. And being exceedingly angry, he went up to his father’s house.
20 and Samson's wife was married to the one who had been best man at his wedding.	20 Then his wife took as a husband one of his friends and wedding companions.