1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless. 3 Yahweh’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, "See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing; 5 for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name; 7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’"

8 Then Manoah entreated Yahweh, and said, "Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born."

9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her. 10 The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, "Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me,"

11 Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?"

He said, "I am."

12 Manoah said, "Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?"

13 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her."

15 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, "Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you."

16 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, "Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh." For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel.

17 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, "What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?"

18 Yahweh’s angel said to him, "Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?"

19 So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. 20 For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 But Yahweh’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was Yahweh’s angel. 22 Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."

23 But his wife said to him, "If Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time." 24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him. 25 Yahweh’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

1 And the sons of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of Dan, whose name [was] Manoah, and his wife [was] barren, (she had never born children).

3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto this woman and said unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren and hast had no children, but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.

4 Now keep thyself and drink no wine nor strong drink and eat no unclean thing.

5 For thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance [was] like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I did not ask him where he [was] from, neither did he tell me his name;

7 but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean [thing]; for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah prayed unto the LORD and said, O my Lord, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field, but Manoah her husband [was] not with her.

10 And the woman made haste and ran and told her husband and said unto him, Behold, the man that came unto me has appeared unto me today.

11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said unto him, [Art] thou the man that spoke unto this woman? And he said, I [am].

12 Then Manoah said, Now let thy word come to pass. How shall we order the child, and what shall he do?

13 And the angel of the LORD replied unto Manoah, Let the woman keep herself from all that I said.

14 She may not eat of any [thing] that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean [thing]; all that I commanded her let her keep.

15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

16 And the angel of the LORD replied unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread, but if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, sacrifice it unto the LORD. For Manoah did not know that this [was] the angel of the LORD.

17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What [is] thy name that when thy words come to pass we may honour thee?

18 And the angel of the LORD replied, Why dost thou ask for my name? It [is] wonderful.

19 So Manoah took a kid with a present and sacrificed [it] upon a rock unto the LORD, and [the angel] did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar as Manoah and his wife looked on, and they prostrated themselves on the ground on their faces.

21 But the angel of the LORD did not appear any more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he [was] the angel of the LORD.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD had desired to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and the present from our hands, neither would he have showed us all these [things], nor would he have announced this according to the time.

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to manifest himself at times in him in the camps of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.: