1 ARST Samson went down to the town of Timnah, and there he saw a young Philistine woman. BSB BSB: One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2 ARST When he returned home, he told his mother and father,“I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines in Timnah, and I want you to get her for me so I can marry her.” BSB BSB: So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
3 ARST His mother and father objected very strongly. They said,“Is there no woman from our tribe, or from the other Israelite tribes, that you could marry? Why do you want a wife from the Philistines, who are not circumcised and do not worship Yahweh?” But Samson told his father,“Get her for me! She is the one I want!” BSB BSB: But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”
4 ARST His mother and father did not realize that Yahweh was arranging this. He was preparing a way for Samson to create a conflict with the Philistines, for they were ruling over Israel at that time. BSB BSB: (Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
5 ARST Then Samson went down to Timnah with his mother and father. A young lion roared at him, threatening him near the vineyards close to the town. BSB BSB: Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him,
6 ARST Then Yahweh’ s Spirit came on Samson, and he tore the lion apart with his hands. He did it as easily as if it had been a young goat. But he did not tell his mother and father about it. BSB BSB: and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7 ARST When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much. And his father made arrangements for the wedding. BSB BSB: Then Samson continued on his way down and spoke to the woman, because she was pleasing to his eyes.
8 ARST Later, when Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to see the lion carcass. He discovered that a swarm of bees had made a nest in the carcass and had made some honey. BSB BSB: When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey.
9 ARST So he dug out some of the honey into his hands and ate some of it as he was walking along. He also gave some of it to his mother and father, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion. BSB BSB: So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
10 ARST As his father was making the final arrangements for the marriage, Samson gave a feast for the young men in that area. That was the custom for men to do when they were about to be married. BSB BSB: Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
11 ARST As soon as her relatives saw him, they brought him thirty of their friends to be with him. BSB BSB: And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
12 ARST Samson said to them,“Allow me to tell you a riddle. If you tell me the correct meaning of my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give each one of you a linen robe and an extra set of clothes. BSB BSB: “Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
13 ARST But if you cannot tell me the correct meaning, you must each give me a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.” They replied,“All right. Tell us your riddle.” BSB BSB: But if you cannot solve it, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they replied. “Let us hear it.”
14 ARST So he said,“From out of the eater I found something to eat; from out of the strong I found something sweet.” But for three days they could not tell him the meaning of the riddle. BSB BSB: So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.
15 ARST On the fourth day, they said to Samson’ s wife,“Use your tricks and make your husband tell you the meaning of the riddle. If you do not do that, we will burn down your father’ s house, with you and your family inside it! Did you invite us here only to make us poor by forcing us to buy a lot of clothes for your husband?” BSB BSB: So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”
16 ARST So Samson’ s wife came to him, crying. She said to him,“You do not really love me. You hate me! You have told a riddle to my friends, but you have not told me the answer to it!” He replied,“I have not even told my own mother and father the answers, so why should I tell you?” BSB BSB: Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”
17 ARST She continued to cry every time she was with him, all during the rest of the celebration. Finally, on the seventh day, because she continued to nag him, he told her the answer to the riddle. Then she told it to the young men. BSB BSB: She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.
18 ARST So before sunset on the seventh day, the young men came to Samson and said to him,“Nothing is sweeter than honey; Nothing is as strong as a lion.” Samson replied,“People use their own animals to plow their fields. My bride is like a young heifer that you have used, but she does not belong to you! If you had not forced her to ask me, you would not have learned the answer!” BSB BSB: Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to Samson: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” So he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”
19 ARST Then Yahweh’ s Spirit powerfully came on Samson. He went down to the coast at the city of Ashkelon and killed thirty men. He took their clothes and went back to Timnah; then he gave them to the men at the feast. But he was very angry about what had happened, so he went back home to live with his mother and father. BSB BSB: Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,
20 ARST So his wife’ s father gave her instead to the man who had been Samson’ s special friend when he got married. BSB BSB: and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.