1And Samson went down to Timnah , and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines . 2And he came up , and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines : now therefore get her for me to wife. 3Then his father and his mother said unto him , Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people , that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines ? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me ; for she pleaseth me well . 4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah ; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines . Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel .
The Lion and the Riddle
5Then went Samson down , and his father and his mother, to Timnah , and came to the vineyards of Timnah : and , behold , a young lion roared against him . 6And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him , and he rent him as he would have rent a kid ; and he had nothing in his hand : but he told not his father or his mother what he had done . 7And he went down , and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well . 8And after a while he returned to take her ; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and , behold , there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey . 9And he took it into his hands , and went on , eating as he went ; and he came to his father and mother, and gave unto them , and they did eat: but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. 10And his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast ; for so used the young men to do . 11And it came to pass , when they saw him , that they brought thirty companions to be with him . 12And Samson said unto them , Let me now put forth a riddle unto you : if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast , and find it out , then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; 13but if ye cannot declare it unto me , then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him , Put forth thy riddle , that we may hear it . 14And he said unto them , Out of the eater came forth food , And out of the strong came forth sweetness . And they could not in three days declare the riddle .
The Wedding Feast and Betrayal
15And it came to pass on the seventh day , that they said unto Samson ’s wife, Entice 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 impoverish us ? is it not so ? 16And Samson ’s wife wept 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 thee ? 17And she wept before him the seven days , while their feast lasted : and it came to pass on the seventh day , that he told her , because she pressed him sore ; and she told the riddle to the children of her people . 18And 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 heifer , Ye had not found out my riddle . 19And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him , and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them , and took their spoil , and gave the changes of raiment unto them that declared the riddle . And his anger was kindled , and he went up to his father’s house . 20But Samson ’s wife was given to his companion , whom he had used as his friend .