1 And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah 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 Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me as wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well.
4 But his father and his mother didn't know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah: and, look, a young lion roared against him.
6 And the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he rent him as he would have rent a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand: but he didn't 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 after awhile he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and saw that there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9 And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate: but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion.
10 And his father went down to the woman: and Samson made a feast there; for so the young men used to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty friends to be with him.
12 And Samson said to them, Let me now put forth a riddle to you{+}: if you{+} can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you{+} thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
13 but if you{+} can't declare it to me, then you{+} will give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said to him, Put forth your 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 declare the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire: have you{+} called us to impoverish us? Or not?
16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You only hate me, and don't love me: you have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, and haven't told it to me. And he said to her, Look, I haven't told it to my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?
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 pressed him intensely; and she told the riddle to the sons 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 is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you{+} did not plow with my heifer, You{+} did not find out my riddle.
19 And the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes [of raiment] to those who declared 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 friend, whom he had used as his best man.