1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath 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 Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 ¶ Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not 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 a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 ¶ So his father went down unto 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 to be with him.
12 ¶ And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: 13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? 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 put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 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 lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18 And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 ¶ And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded 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 companion, whom he had used as his friend.
1 Καὶ κατέβη Σαμψων εἰς Θαμναθα καὶ εἶδεν γυναῖκα ἐν Θαμναθα ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. 2 καὶ ἀνέβη καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν Γυναῖκα ἑώρακα ἐν Θαμναθα ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ νῦν λάβετέ μοι αὐτὴν εἰς γυναῖκα. 3 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ Μὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ λαῷ μου γυνή, ὅτι σὺ πορεύῃ λαβεῖν γυναῖκα ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων; καὶ εἶπεν Σαμψων πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ Ταύτην λαβέ μοι, ὅτι ἤρεσεν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου. 4 καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι παρὰ κυρίου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀνταπόδομα αὐτὸς ἐκζητεῖ ἐκ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐκυρίευον τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ. 5 καὶ κατέβη Σαμψων καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ εἰς Θαμναθα. καὶ ἐξέκλινεν εἰς ἀμπελῶνα Θαμναθα, καὶ ἰδοὺ σκύμνος λεόντων ὠρυόμενος εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ· 6 καὶ κατηύθυνεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα κυρίου, καὶ διέσπασεν αὐτόν, ὡσεὶ διασπάσαι ἔριφον αἰγῶν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ τῇ μητρὶ ἃ ἐποίησεν. 7 καὶ κατέβησαν καὶ ἐλάλησαν τῇ γυναικί, καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον Σαμψων. 8 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας λαβεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξέκλινεν ἰδεῖν τὸ πτῶμα τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ ἰδοὺ συστροφὴ μελισσῶν ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ λέοντος καὶ μέλι ἦν. 9 καὶ ἐξεῖλεν αὐτὸ εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπορεύθη πορευόμενος καὶ ἔσθων· καὶ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἔφαγον· καὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἕξεως τοῦ λέοντος ἐξεῖλεν τὸ μέλι. 10 καὶ κατέβη ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ Σαμψων πότον ἡμέρας ἑπτά, ὅτι οὕτως ἐποίουν οἱ νεανίσκοι. 11 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ φοβεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς αὐτὸν προσκατέστησαν αὐτῷ ἑταίρους τριάκοντα, καὶ ἦσαν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ. 12 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαμψων Προβαλῶ ὑμῖν πρόβλημα, καὶ ἐὰν ἀπαγγείλητέ μοι τὸ πρόβλημα ἐν ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις τοῦ πότου, δώσω ὑμῖν τριάκοντα σινδόνας καὶ τριάκοντα στολάς· 13 καὶ ἐὰν μὴ δυνασθῆτε ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι, καὶ δώσετε ὑμεῖς ἐμοὶ τριάκοντα σινδόνας καὶ τριάκοντα στολὰς ἱματίων. καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Προβαλοῦ τὸ πρόβλημά σου, καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα αὐτοῦ. 14 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς
Ἐκ τοῦ ἔσθοντος ἐξῆλθεν βρῶσις,
καὶ ἐξ ἰσχυροῦ ἐξῆλθεν γλυκύ.
καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνάσθησαν ἀπαγγεῖλαι τὸ πρόβλημα ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας. 15 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τετάρτῃ καὶ εἶπαν τῇ γυναικὶ Σαμψων Ἀπάτησον δὴ τὸν ἄνδρα σου καὶ ἀπαγγειλάτω σοι τὸ πρόβλημα, μήποτε ἐμπυρίσωμέν σε καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός σου ἐν πυρί· ἦ πτωχεῦσαι ἐκαλέσατε ἡμᾶς; 16 καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἡ γυνὴ Σαμψων ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μεμίσηκάς με καὶ οὐκ ἠγάπηκάς με, ὅτι τὸ πρόβλημα, ὃ προεβάλου τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ μου, κἀμοὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλας αὐτό. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Σαμψων Ἰδοὺ τῷ πατρί μου καὶ τῇ μητρί μου οὐκ ἀπήγγειλα αὐτό, καὶ σοὶ ἀπαγγελῶ; 17 καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς ἦν ἐν αὐταῖς ὁ πότος· καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῇ, ὅτι παρηνώχλησεν αὐτόν· καὶ αὐτὴ ἀπήγγειλεν τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῆς. 18 καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ πρὶν δῦναι τὸν ἥλιον
Τί γλυκύτερον μέλιτος,
καὶ τί ἰσχυρότερον λέοντος;
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαμψων
Εἰ μὴ κατεδαμάσατέ μου τὴν δάμαλιν,
οὐκ ἂν εὕρετε τὸ πρόβλημά μου.
19 καὶ κατεύθυνεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα κυρίου, καὶ κατέβη εἰς Ἀσκαλῶνα καὶ ἔπαισεν ἐκεῖθεν τριάκοντα ἄνδρας καὶ ἔλαβεν τὰς στολὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν τοῖς ἀπαγγείλασιν τὸ πρόβλημα. καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ Σαμψων καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. 20 καὶ συνῴκησεν ἡ γυνὴ Σαμψων τῷ νυμφαγωγῷ αὐτοῦ, ὃς ἦν ἑταῖρος αὐτοῦ.