And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I haveseen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Then his father and his mothersaidunto him, Is therenever a womanamong the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, thatthougoest to take a wife of the uncircumcisedPhilistines? And Samsonsaidunto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
But his father and his motherknew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasionagainst the Philistines: for at thattime the Philistines had dominionoverIsrael.
And the spirit of the LORDcamemightilyupon him, and he rent him as he wouldhaverent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his motherwhat he had done.
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turnedaside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
And he tookthereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gavethem, and they did eat: but he told not themthat he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
And Samsonsaiduntothem, I will now put forth a riddleunto you: if ye can certainlydeclare it me within the sevendays of the feast, and find it out, then I willgive you thirtysheets and thirtychange of garments:
But if ye cannotdeclare it me, thenshall ye give me thirtysheets and thirtychange of garments. And theysaidunto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
And it came to pass on the seventh day, thattheysaiduntoSamson’swife, Entice thy husband, that he may declareunto us the riddle, lest we burnthee and thy father’shousewithfire: have ye called us to takethat we have? is it not so?
And Samson’swifeweptbefore him, and said, Thoudost but hate me, and lovest me not: thouhast put forth a riddleunto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he saidunto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
And she weptbefore him the sevendays, whiletheirfeastlasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay soreupon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
And the men of the citysaidunto him on the seventh day before the sun wentdown, What is sweeterthanhoney? and what is strongerthan a lion? And he saiduntothem, If ye had not plowedwith my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
And the spirit of the LORDcameupon him, and he wentdown to Ashkelon, and slewthirty men of them, and tooktheirspoil, and gavechange of garmentsuntothemwhichexpounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’shouse.