The Book of Judges, Chapter 14שפטים 14

וַיֵּ֥רֶד שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן תִּמְנָ֑תָה וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה בְּתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנ֥וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים

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

וַיַּ֗עַל וַיַּגֵּד֙ לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִשָּׁ֛ה רָאִ֥יתִי בְתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְעַתָּ֕ה קְחוּ אוֹתָ֥הּ לִּ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה

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

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֜וֹ אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֗וֹ הַאֵין֩ בִּבְנ֨וֹת אַחֶ֤יךָ וּבְכָל עַמִּי֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי אַתָּ֤ה הוֹלֵךְ֙ לָקַ֣חַת אִשָּׁ֔ה מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הָעֲרֵלִ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֤וֹן אֶל אָבִיו֙ אוֹתָ֣הּ קַֽח לִ֔י כִּֽי הִ֖יא יָשְׁרָ֥ה בְעֵינָֽי

And his father and his mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your brothers and among all my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Take her for me, for she is right in my eyes.

וְאָבִ֨יו וְאִמּ֜וֹ לֹ֣א יָדְע֗וּ כִּ֤י מֵיְהוָה֙ הִ֔יא כִּי תֹאֲנָ֥ה הֽוּא מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים מֹשְׁלִ֥ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

And his father and his mother did not know that it was from YHWH, for he was seeking an occasion from the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling in Israel.

וַיֵּ֧רֶד שִׁמְשׁ֛וֹן וְאָבִ֥יו וְאִמּ֖וֹ תִּמְנָ֑תָה וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ עַד כַּרְמֵ֣י תִמְנָ֔תָה וְהִנֵּה֙ כְּפִ֣יר אֲרָי֔וֹת שֹׁאֵ֖ג לִקְרָאתֽוֹ

And Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah, and behold, a young lion of lions roaring to meet him.

וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַֽיְשַׁסְּעֵ֨הוּ֙ כְּשַׁסַּ֣ע הַגְּדִ֔י וּמְא֖וּמָה אֵ֣ין בְּיָד֑וֹ וְלֹ֤א הִגִּיד֙ לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה

And the Spirit of YHWH rushed upon him, and he tore it apart as one tears a kid, and there was nothing in his hand. And he did not tell his father and his mother what he had done.

וַיֵּ֖רֶד וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר לָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתִּישַׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י שִׁמְשֽׁוֹן

And he went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.

וַיָּ֤שָׁב מִיָּמִים֙ לְקַחְתָּ֔הּ וַיָּ֣סַר לִרְא֔וֹת אֵ֖ת מַפֶּ֣לֶת הָאַרְיֵ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה עֲדַ֧ת דְּבוֹרִ֛ים בִּגְוִיַּ֥ת הָאַרְיֵ֖ה וּדְבָֽשׁ

And he returned after some days to take her, and he turned aside to see the fallen carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.

וַיִּרְדֵּ֣הוּ אֶל כַּפָּ֗יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ הָלוֹךְ֙ וְאָכֹ֔ל וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֶל אָבִ֣יו וְאֶל אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ וְלֹֽא הִגִּ֣יד לָהֶ֔ם כִּ֛י מִגְּוִיַּ֥ת הָאַרְיֵ֖ה רָדָ֥ה הַדְּבָֽשׁ

And he scraped it into his palms and went on, going and eating, and he went to his father and his mother and gave to them, and they ate, and he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the body of the lion.

וַיֵּ֥רֶד אָבִ֖יהוּ אֶל הָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיַּ֨עַשׂ שָׁ֤ם שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יַעֲשׂ֖וּ הַבַּחוּרִֽים

And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

וַיְהִ֖י כִּרְאוֹתָ֣ם אוֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקְחוּ֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים מֵֽרֵעִ֔ים וַיִּהְי֖וּ אִתּֽוֹ

And when they saw him, they took thirty companions, and they were with him.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן אָחֽוּדָה נָּ֥א לָכֶ֖ם חִידָ֑ה אִם הַגֵּ֣ד תַּגִּידוּ֩ אוֹתָ֨הּ לִ֜י שִׁבְעַ֨ת יְמֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ וּמְצָאתֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים סְדִינִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים חֲלִפֹ֥ת בְּגָדִֽים

And Samson said to them, Let me please pose a riddle to you. If you can indeed tell it to me during the seven days of the feast and find it out, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.

וְאִם לֹ֣א תוּכְלוּ֮ לְהַגִּ֣יד לִי֒ וּנְתַתֶּ֨ם אַתֶּ֥ם לִי֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים סְדִינִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים חֲלִיפ֣וֹת בְּגָדִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ ל֔וֹ ח֥וּדָה חִידָתְךָ֖ וְנִשְׁמָעֶֽנָּה

And if you cannot tell it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes. And they said to him, Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם מֵהָֽאֹכֵל֙ יָצָ֣א מַאֲכָ֔ל וּמֵעַ֖ז יָצָ֣א מָת֑וֹק וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֛וּ לְהַגִּ֥יד הַחִידָ֖ה שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים

And he said to them, From the eater came forth food, and from the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not tell the riddle for three days.

וַיְהִ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ לְאֵֽשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ פַּתִּ֣י אֶת אִישֵׁ֗ךְ וְיַגֶּד לָ֨נוּ֙ אֶת הַ֣חִידָ֔ה פֶּן נִשְׂרֹ֥ף אוֹתָ֛ךְ וְאֶת בֵּ֥ית אָבִ֖יךְ בָּאֵ֑שׁ הַלְיָרְשֵׁ֕נוּ קְרָאתֶ֥ם לָ֖נוּ הֲלֹֽא

And on the seventh day they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us? Is it not so?

וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן עָלָ֗יו וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ רַק שְׂנֵאתַ֨נִי֙ וְלֹ֣א אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי הַֽחִידָ֥ה חַ֨דְתָּ֙ לִבְנֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י וְלִ֖י לֹ֣א הִגַּ֑דְתָּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הִנֵּ֨ה לְאָבִ֧י וּלְאִמִּ֛י לֹ֥א הִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְלָ֥ךְ אַגִּֽיד

And Samson's wife wept over him and said, You only hate me, and you do not love me. You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, and you have not told it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it to my father or my mother, and shall I tell you?

וַתֵּ֤בְךְּ עָלָיו֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וַיְהִ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיַּגֶּד לָהּ֙ כִּ֣י הֱצִיקַ֔תְהוּ וַתַּגֵּ֥ד הַחִידָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י עַמָּֽהּ

And she wept over him the seven days that they had the feast, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him; and she told the riddle to the sons of her people.

וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לוֹ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הָעִ֜יר בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּטֶ֨רֶם֙ יָבֹ֣א הַחַ֔רְסָה מַה מָּת֣וֹק מִדְּבַ֔שׁ וּמֶ֥ה עַ֖ז מֵאֲרִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם לוּלֵא֙ חֲרַשְׁתֶּ֣ם בְּעֶגְלָתִ֔י לֹ֥א מְצָאתֶ֖ם חִידָתִֽי

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 had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.

וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַשְׁקְל֜וֹן וַיַּ֥ךְ מֵהֶ֣ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת חֲלִ֣יצוֹתָ֔ם וַיִּתֵּן֙ הַחֲלִיפ֔וֹת לְמַגִּידֵ֖י הַחִידָ֑ה וַיִּ֣חַר אַפּ֔וֹ וַיַּ֖עַל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיהוּ

And the Spirit of YHWH rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them and took their plunder and gave the changes of clothes to those who had told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house.

וַתְּהִ֖י אֵ֣שֶׁת שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן לְמֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רֵעָ֖ה לֽוֹ

And Samson's wife became his companion's, who had been his companion.