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.

1 Toe Simson afgegaan het na Timna, sien hy in Timna 'n vrou uit die dogters van die Filistyne;2 en hy het opgegaan en dit aan sy vader en sy moeder vertel en gesê: Ek het 'n vrou uit die dogters van die Filistyne in Timna gesien; neem haar dan nou as vrou vir my.3 Maar sy vader en sy moeder sê vir hom: Is daar onder die dogters van jou broers en onder my hele volk nie 'n vrou, dat jy heengaan om 'n vrou uit die Filistyne, die onbesnedenes, te neem nie? En Simson sê aan sy vader: Neem haar vir my, want sy geval my.4 Maar sy vader en sy moeder het nie geweet dat dit van die HERE kom nie; want hy het rede gesoek teen die Filistyne; in die tyd naamlik het die Filistyne oor Israel geheers.5 En Simson het met sy vader en sy moeder afgegaan na Timna; en toe hulle by die wingerde van Timna kom, storm daar 'n jong leeu brullende op hom af.6 Maar die Gees van die HERE het oor hom vaardig geword; en hy het dit verskeur soos 'n mens 'n bokkie verskeur sonder dat daar iets in sy hand was; maar hy het sy vader en sy moeder nie vertel wat hy gedoen het nie.7 Toe gaan hy af en praat met die vrou; en sy het Simson geval.8 En 'n tyd daarna het hy teruggegaan om haar te gaan haal; en toe hy uitdraai om na die dooie leeu te kyk, was daar 'n swerm bye in die dooie liggaam van die leeu, en heuning.9 En hy het dit uitgehaal in sy hande en aldeur geloop en eet, en na sy vader en sy moeder gegaan en aan hulle gegee; en hulle het geëet, maar dat hy die heuning uit die dooie liggaam van die leeu uitgehaal het, vertel hy hulle nie.10 Daarop gaan sy vader na die vrou toe af, en Simson het daar 'n maaltyd berei; want so het die jongmanne gewoonlik gedoen.11 En toe hulle hom sien, neem hulle dertig vriende om by hom te wees.12 En Simson sê aan hulle: Laat my tog vir julle 'n raaisel opgee; as julle dit vir my reg uitlê gedurende die sewe dae van die maaltyd en dit uitvind, dan sal ek julle dertig hemde en dertig stel klere gee;13 maar as julle dit vir my nie kan uitlê nie, dan moet julle my dertig hemde en dertig stel klere gee. Toe sê hulle vir hom: Gee maar jou raaisel op, dat ons dit hoor.14 En hy sê vir hulle: Spys het uit die eter uitgegaan, en soetigheid uit die sterke. En drie dae lank kon hulle die raaisel nie uitlê nie.15 En op die vierde dag sê hulle aan die vrou van Simson: Haal jou man oor dat hy die raaisel vir ons uitlê, anders verbrand ons jou en die huis van jou vader met vuur; het julle ons genooi om ons te berowe, of hoe?16 Toe huil die vrou van Simson by hom en sê: Jy haat my net en het my nie lief nie; jy het my volksgenote die raaisel opgegee, maar vir my het jy dit nie uitgelê nie. En hy antwoord haar: Kyk, vir my vader en my moeder het ek dit nie uitgelê nie, sou ek dit dan vir jou uitlê?17 Maar sy het die sewe dae wat hulle maaltyd geduur het, by hom gehuil; en op die sewende dag het hy dit vir haar uitgelê; want sy het hom gepers en so die raaisel vir haar volksgenote uitgelê.18 Daarop sê die manne van die stad aan hom op die sewende dag voor sonsondergang: Wat is soeter as heuning, en wat is sterker as 'n leeu? En hy antwoord hulle: As julle nie met my kalf geploeg het nie, sou julle my raaisel nie geraai het nie.19 En die Gees van die HERE het oor hom vaardig geword. Toe gaan hy af na Askelon en slaan dertig man van hulle dood, en neem hulle uitrustings en gee die stelle klere aan die wat die raaisel uitgelê het; en hy het kwaad geword en opgegaan na die huis van sy vader.20 En sy vriend wat as sy bruidsjonker gedien het, het die vrou van Simson gekry.