1 Desceu Sansão a Timnate; e vendo em Timnate uma mulher das filhas dos filisteus,

2 subiu, e declarou-o a seu pai e a sua mãe, dizendo: Vi uma mulher em Timnate, das filhas dos filisteus; agora pois, tomai-ma por mulher.

3 Responderam-lhe, porém, seu pai e sua mãe: Não há, porventura, mulher entre as filhas de teus irmãos, nem entre todo o nosso povo, para que tu vás tomar mulher dos filisteus, daqueles incircuncisos? Disse, porém, Sansão a seu pai: Toma esta para mim, porque ela muito me agrada.

4 Mas seu pai e sua mãe não sabiam que isto vinha do Senhor, que buscava ocasião contra os filisteus; porquanto naquele tempo os filisteus dominavam sobre Israel.

5 Desceu, pois, Sansão com seu pai e com sua mãe a Timnate. E, chegando ele às vinhas de Timnate, um leão novo, rugindo, saiu-lhe ao encontro.

6 Então o Espírito do Senhor se apossou dele, de modo que ele, sem ter coisa alguma na mão, despedaçou o leão como se fosse um cabrito. E não disse nem a seu pai nem a sua mãe o que tinha feito.

7 Depois desceu e falou àquela mulher; e ela muito lhe agradou.

8 Passado algum tempo, Sansão voltou para recebê-la; e apartando-se de caminho para ver o cadáver do leão, eis que nele havia um enxame de abelhas, e mel.

9 E tirando-o nas mãos, foi andando e comendo dele; chegando aonde estavam seu pai e sua mãe, deu-lhes do mel, e eles comeram; porém não lhes disse que havia tirado o mel do corpo do leão.

10 Desceu, pois, seu pai à casa da mulher; e Sansão fez ali um banquete, porque assim os mancebos costumavam fazer.

11 E sucedeu que, quando os habitantes do lugar o viram, trouxeram trinta companheiros para estarem com ele.

12 Disse-lhes, pois, Sansão: Permiti-me propor-vos um enigma; se nos sete dias das bodas o decifrardes e mo descobrirdes, eu vos darei trinta túnicas de linho e trinta mantos;

13 mas se não puderdes decifrar, vós me dareis a mim as trinta túnicas de linho e os trinta mantos. Ao que lhe responderam eles: Propõe o teu enigma, para que o ouçamos.

14 Então lhes disse: Do que come saiu comida, e do forte saiu doçura. E em três dias não puderam decifrar o enigma.

15 Ao quarto dia, pois, disseram à mulher de Sansão: Persuade teu marido a que declare o enigma, para que não queimemos a fogo a ti e à casa de teu pai. Acaso nos convidastes para nos despojardes?

16 E a mulher de Sansão chorou diante dele, e disse: Tão-somente me aborreces, e não me amas; pois propuseste aos filhos do meu povo um enigma, e não mo declaraste a mim. Respondeu-lhe ele: Eis que nem a meu pai nem a minha mãe o declarei, e to declararei a ti.

17 Assim ela chorava diante dele os sete dias em que celebravam as bodas. Sucedeu, pois, que ao sétimo dia lho declarou, porquanto o importunava; então ela declarou o enigma aos filhos do seu povo.

18 Os homens da cidade, pois, ainda no sétimo dia, antes de se pôr o sol, disseram a Sansão: Que coisa há mais doce do que o mel? e que coisa há mais forte do que o leão? Respondeu-lhes ele: Se vós não tivésseis lavrado com a minha novilha, não teríeis descoberto o meu enigma.

19 Então o Espírito do Senhor se apossou dele, de modo que desceu a Asquelom, matou trinta dos seus homens e, tomando as suas vestes, deu-as aos que declararam o enigma; e, ardendo em ira, subiu à casa de seu pai.

20 E a mulher de Sansão foi dada ao seu companheiro, que lhe servira de paraninfo.:

1 And Samson went down to Timnathah, and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 And he went up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines; and now take her for me as wife.

3 And his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, and among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the Philistines, the uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father, Take her for me, for she pleases me well.

4 And his father and his mother did not know that it was of Jehovah, that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

5 And Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnathah; and they came to the vineyards of Timnathah. And behold, a young lion roared against him;

6 and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he rent it as one rends a kid, and nothing was in his hand. And he did not tell 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 he returned after a time to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion; and behold, {there was} a swarm of bees in the carcase of the lion, and honey;

9 and he took it out in his hands, and went on, and ate as he went. And he came to his father and to his mother, and gave them, and they ate; but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

10 And his father went down to 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, and they were with him.

12 And Samson said to them, Let me now propound a riddle to you; if ye clearly explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find {it} out, then I will give you thirty shirts, and thirty changes of garments.

13 But if ye cannot explain {it} to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts, and thirty changes of garments. And they said to him, Propound thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14 And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, And out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days explain the riddle.

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may explain to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye invited us to impoverish us, -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 propounded the riddle to the children of my people, and hast not explained it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not explained it to my father nor my mother, and shall I explain it to thee?

17 And she wept before him the seven days, while they had the feast. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that he explained it to her, for she pressed him. And she explained the riddle to the children of her people.

18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey, And what stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.

19 And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew of them thirty men, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of garments unto them that explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 And Samson's wife was {given} to his companion, whom he had made his friend.