King James Version › Judges › 14

Judges

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1 And Sam­son went down to Tim­nath, and saw a wom­an in Tim­nath of the daugh­ters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up, and told his fa­ther and his moth­er, and said, I have seen a wom­an in Tim­nath of the daugh­ters of the Philistines: now there­fore get her for me to wife. 3 Then 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. 4 But his fa­ther and his moth­er knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an oc­ca­sion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had do­min­ion over Is­rael. 5 Then went Sam­son down, and his fa­ther and his moth­er, to Tim­nath, and came to the vine­yards of Tim­nath: and, be­hold, a young lion roared against him. 6 And the Spir­it of the LORD 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. 7 And he went down, and talked with the wom­an; and she pleased Sam­son well. 8 And af­ter a time he re­turned to take her, and he turned aside to see the car­case of the li­on: and, be­hold, there was a swarm of bees and hon­ey in the car­case of the li­on. 9 And he took there­of in his hands, and went on eat­ing, and came to his fa­ther and moth­er, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had tak­en the hon­ey out of the car­case of the li­on. 10 So his fa­ther went down unto the wom­an: and Sam­son made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thir­ty com­pan­ions to be with him. 12 And Sam­son said unto them, I will now put forth a rid­dle unto you: if ye can cer­tain­ly de­clare it me with­in the sev­en days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thir­ty sheets and thir­ty change of gar­ments: 13 But if ye can­not de­clare it me, then shall ye give me thir­ty sheets and thir­ty change of gar­ments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy rid­dle, that we may hear it. 14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweet­ness. And they could not in three days ex­pound the rid­dle. 15 And 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 take that we have? is it not so? 16 And 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 it thee? 17 And 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 lay sore upon him: and she told the rid­dle to the chil­dren of her peo­ple. 18 And 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. 19 And the Spir­it of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thir­ty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of gar­ments unto them which ex­pound­ed the rid­dle. And his anger was kin­dled, and he went up to his father's house. 20 But Samson's wife was given to his com­pan­ion, whom he had used as his friend.