Samson’s Marriage 1 UST Samson went to the town of Timnah. There he saw a young Philistine woman. BSB BSB: One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2 UST Samson went back home and told his parents,“I saw a young Philistine woman in Timnah. I want you to arrange for me to 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 UST His parents said to him,“There are many young women in our own tribe of Dan and among our people of Israel. You can marry one of them. You should not marry someone from a people group that does not worship Yahweh.” But Samson told his father,“No, I like her very much, and so I want you to arrange for me to marry her.” 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 UST His parents did not know that Yahweh wanted this to happen. Yahweh was looking for a way to act against the Philistines because they were oppressing 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 UST Samson went to Timnah with his parents. As they came near the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion attacked Samson{ as he was walking alone}. 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 UST The Spirit of Yahweh gave Samson great strength. He ripped the lion apart with his bare hands as easily as if it had been a young goat. But he did not tell his parents what he had done. 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 UST When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much.{ So 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.
Samson’s Riddle 8 UST Later, Samson went back to marry her. On the way, he went to look at the dead lion. He saw that a swarm of bees had made a nest in the lion’ s body and produced 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 UST Samson scooped out some of the honey with his hands. He ate some as he walked along. When he came to his parents, he gave them some, and they ate it too. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’ s body. 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 UST Samson’ s father went to arrange the marriage with the woman’ s family. Samson gave a feast for the young men in that area. That was what young men did when they married someone. BSB BSB: Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
11 UST The family of the woman saw that Samson had not brought any other young men with him. So they had 30 of their own young men accompany him at the feast. BSB BSB: And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
12 UST Samson said to them,“Let me tell you a riddle. If you can answer it during the seven days of the feast, I will give you 30 linen garments and 30 changes 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 UST But if you can not answer it, then you must give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes.” They told him,“{ We agree.} Tell us your riddle, and we will try to solve it.” 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 UST He said to them,“Something to eat came out of something that eats. Something sweet came out of something strong.” They tried for three days to solve the riddle, but they could not. 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 UST On the last day of the feast, they said to Samson’ s bride,“Get the answer to the riddle for us from your bridegroom. If you do not, we will burn you and your family to death. We did not come to this feast to become poor!” 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 UST So Samson’ s bride went to him and started crying. She shouted,“You hate me! You do not love me! You told a riddle to my relatives, but you did not tell me the answer.” Samson said to her,“I have not even told the answer to my parents. So I am not going to 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 UST But she kept crying for the rest of the feast. Finally, as it was about to end, he told her the answer to the riddle because she had kept bothering him. She went and told the answer to the Philistine 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 UST Before sunset on the last day of the feast, the Philistine guests said to Samson,“The sweet thing was honey, and the strong thing was a lion!” Samson said to them,“You must have gotten the answer from my bride! Otherwise, you could not have solved my riddle!” 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 UST Then the Spirit of Yahweh gave Samson great strength. He went to the city of Ashkelon and killed 30 men there. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who had answered his riddle. But he was very angry about what had happened. He went back to his father’ s house without marrying the woman. 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 UST So her father had her marry instead the Philistine young man who had been a special helper to Samson at the wedding feast. 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.