CHAPTER 14
1 Therefore Samson went down into Timnath, and he saw there a woman of the daughters of Philistines;
2 and he went up, and he told this to his father and mother, and said, I saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of Philistines, and I beseech, that ye take her a wife to me.
3 To whom his father and mother said, Whether there is no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, and in all my people, for thou wilt take a wife of the Philistines, that be uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father, Take thou this wife to me, for she hath pleased mine eyes.
4 But his father and mother knew not, that this thing was done of the Lord; and that he sought occasions against [the] Philistines; for in that time Philistines were lords of Israel.
5 Therefore Samson went down with his father and mother into Timnath; and when they had come to the vineries [or vines] of the city, a fierce and roaring whelp of a lion appeared, and ran to Samson.
6 And the spirit of the Lord felled into Samson, and he rent the lion into gobbets, as if he had rent a kid, and utterly he had nothing in his hand; and he would not show this to his father and mother.
7 And he went down, and spake to the woman, that pleased his eyes.
8 And after some days he turned [again] to take her; and he went aside to see the lion’s carrion; and lo! a swarm of bees was in the lion’s mouth, and an honeycomb.
9 And when Samson had taken the comb in his hands, he ate it in the way; and he came to his father and mother, and gave them part thereof, and they ate; nevertheless he would not show to them, that he had taken that honey of the lion’s mouth.
10 And so his father went down to the woman, and made a feast to his son Samson; for so young men were wont to do.
11 Therefore when the citizens of that place had seen him, they gave to him thirty fellows, which should be with him.
12 To which Samson spake, I shall put forth to you a problem, that is, a doubtful word and privy, and if ye solve it to me within seven days of the feast, I shall give to you thirty linen clothes, and coats of the same number;
13 soothly if ye may not solve, ye shall give to me thirty linen clothes, and coats of the same number. Which answered to him, Set forth the problem, that we hear it.
14 And he said to them, Meat went out of the eater, and sweetness went out of the strong. And by three days they might not solve the proposition, that is, the reasoning set forth.
15 And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson, Gloss or flatter thine husband, and counsel him, that he show to thee what the problem signifieth. That if thou wilt not do it, we shall burn thee and the house of thy father. Whether therefore ye called us to [the] weddings, that ye should rob us?
16 And she shedded tears at Samson, and complained, and said, Thou hatest me, and lovest me not, therefore thou wilt not expound to me the problem, which thou hast put forth to the sons of my people. And he answered, I would not say this thing to my father and mother, and shall I be able to show it to thee?
17 Therefore by seven days of the feast she wept upon him; and at the last in the seventh day, he told it to her clearly, when she was dis-easeful to him. And anon she told it to her citizens.
18 And they said to him in the seventh day before the going down of the sun, What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If ye had not eared, or busied you, in my cow calf, that is, my wife, ye had not found my proposition.
19 Therefore the spirit of the Lord felled into him; and he went down to Ashkelon, and killed there thirty men, whose clothes he took away, and he gave to them that solved the problem; and he was full wroth, and went up into his father’s house.
20 Forsooth his wife took an husband, one of the friends and privy keepers of her [or one of his friends and wooers].