The Birth of Samson (Numbers 6:1–21)
1 UDB Again the Israelite people did evil, and Yahweh saw what they had done. So Yahweh helped the Philistines to conquer them. They ruled over the Israelites for forty years. BSB BSB: Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 UDB There was a man named Manoah from the family of Dan who lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, so she had not given birth. BSB BSB: Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.
3 UDB One day, the angel of Yahweh appeared to Manoah's wife and said to her, "Even though you have not been able to give birth to any children until now, you will soon become pregnant and you will give birth to a son. BSB BSB: The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
4 UDB From now until he is born, you must not drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and you must not eat any food that the law says we should not eat. BSB BSB: Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5 UDB You will become pregnant. After you give birth to your son, no one may ever cut his hair. He will be dedicated to God even before he is born. He will begin the work that will rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines." BSB BSB: For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
6 UDB The woman ran and told her husband, "A man whom God sent came to me. I was very afraid of him because he was like an angel from God. I did not ask where he came from, and he did not tell me his name. BSB BSB: So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
7 UDB But he told me, 'You will become pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. Until then, you must not drink any wine or any alcoholic drink, and you must not eat any food that God's law says you are not to eat. Your son will be a Nazirite (that is, one who is dedicated to God) before he is born and until the day he dies.'" BSB BSB: But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
8 UDB Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh, saying, "O Lord, I plead with you, allow that man whom you sent to us to come again and teach us how we should raise the boy who will be born to us." BSB BSB: Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, let the man of God You sent us come to us again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born.”
9 UDB God did what Manoah asked, and his angel came to the woman again. This time she was out in the field. But again her husband Manoah was not with her. BSB BSB: And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God returned to the woman as she was sitting in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.
10 UDB So she quickly ran and said to her husband, "The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!" BSB BSB: The woman ran quickly to tell her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has reappeared!”
11 UDB Manoah ran back with his wife and asked him, "Are you the man who talked with my wife a few days ago?" He replied, "Yes I am." BSB BSB: So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” “I am,” he said.
12 UDB Manoah asked him, "When what you promised occurs and my wife gives birth to a son, what rules will there be for the child, and what work will he do when he grows up?" BSB BSB: Then Manoah asked, “When your words come to pass, what will be the boy’s rule of life and mission?”
13 UDB Yahweh's angel replied, "Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her. BSB BSB: So the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife is to do everything I told her.
14 UDB Before the baby is born, she must not eat grapes, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat anything that the law says you should not eat." BSB BSB: She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
15 UDB Then Manoah said, "Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you." BSB BSB: “Please stay here,” Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”
16 UDB Yahweh's angel replied, "I will stay here, but I will not eat anything. However, you may kill an animal and sacrifice it as a burned offering to Yahweh." But Manoah did not yet realize that this was Yahweh's angel. BSB BSB: And the angel of the LORD replied, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that it was the angel of the LORD.
17 UDB Then Manoah asked him, "What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you." BSB BSB: Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes to pass?”
18 UDB Yahweh's angel replied, "Why do you ask me my name? It is too marvelous." BSB BSB: “Why do you ask my name,” said the angel of the LORD, “since it is beyond comprehension?”
19 UDB Then Manoah killed a young goat and burned it on a rock, along with a grain offering, as a sacrifice to Yahweh. Then he did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. BSB BSB: Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.
20 UDB When the flames went up from the altar toward the sky, Yahweh's angel went up in the flame from the altar. Manoah and his wife saw that and lay facedown on the ground. BSB BSB: When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
21 UDB Although Yahweh's angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized who this person really was. BSB BSB: And when the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it had been the angel of the LORD.
22 UDB So Manoah said, "Now we are sure to die because we have seen God!" BSB BSB: “We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
23 UDB But his wife said, "No, I do not think so. If Yahweh intended to kill us, he would not have accepted the burned offering and the grain offering. And he would not have appeared to us and told us the wonderful thing that would happen to us, and he would not have performed this miracle." BSB BSB: But his wife replied, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things or spoken to us this way.”
24 UDB When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up. BSB BSB: So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 UDB While he was in Mahaneh Dan, which is between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol, Yahweh's Spirit began to control him. BSB BSB: And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
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