Judges Chapter 14
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
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And they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years
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oppressed they all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
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And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
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And the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim.
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And Jehovah said unto the children of Israel,
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Did not
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I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
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The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried unto me, and I saved you out of their hand.
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Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will save you no more.
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Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.
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And the children of Israel said unto Jehovah, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; only deliver us, we pray thee, this day.
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And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Jehovah; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
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Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.
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And the people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
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Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, and he was the son of a harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.
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And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of another woman.
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Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him.
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And it came to pass after a while, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
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And it was so, that, when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob;
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and they said unto Jephthah, Come and be our chief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And Samson went down to Timnathah, and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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;
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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.
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And he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
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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;
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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.
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And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
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And it came to pass when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions, and they were with him.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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]?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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And Samson's wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had made his friend.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
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And Sampson went down to Thamnatha, and saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines.
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And he went up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Phylistines; and now take her to me for a wife.
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And his father and his mother said to him, Are there no daughters of thy brethren, and [is there not] a woman of all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Sampson said to his father, Take her for me, for she [is] right in my eyes.
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And his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought to be revenged on the Philistines: and at that time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.
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And Sampson and his father and his mother went down to Thamnatha, and he came to the vineyard of Thamnatha; and behold, a young lion roared in meeting him.
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And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he crushed him as he would have crushed a kid of the goats, and there was nothing in his hands: and he told not his father and his mother what he had done.
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And they went down and spoke to the woman, and she was pleasing in the eyes of Sampson.
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And after some time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees, and honey [were] in the mouth of the lion.
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And he took it into his hands, and went on eating, and he went to his father and his mother, and gave to them, and they did eat; but he told them not that he took the honey out of the mouth of the lion.
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And his father went down to the woman, and Sampson made there a banquet for seven days, for so the young men are used to do.
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And it came to pass when they saw him, that they took thirty guests, and they were with him.
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And Sampson said to them, I propound you a riddle: if ye will indeed tell it me, and discover it within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty sheets and thirty changes of raiment.
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And if ye cannot tell it me, ye shall give me thirty napkins and thirty changes of apparel: and they said to him, Propound thy riddle, and we will hear it.
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And he said to them, Meat came forth of the eater, and sweetness out of the strong: and they could not tell the riddle for three days.
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And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they said to the wife of Sampson, Deceive now thy husband, and let him tell thee the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: did ye invite us to do us violence?
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And Sampson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not; for the riddle which thou hast propounded to the children of my people, thou hast not told me: and Sampson said to her, If I have not told it to my father and my mother, shall I tell it to thee?
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And she wept before him the seven days, during which their banquet lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she troubled him; and she told it to the children of her people.
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And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before sunrise, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? and Sampson said to them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye would not have known my riddle.
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And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him powerfully, and he went down to Ascalon, and destroyed of the inhabitants thirty men, and took their garments, and gave the changes of raiment to them that told the riddle; and Sampson was very angry, and went up to the house of his father.
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And the wife of Sampson was [given] to one of his friends, with whom he was on terms of friendship.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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Descendit ergo Samson in Thamnatha. vidensque ibi mulierem de filiabus Philisthiim,
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ascendit, et nunciavit patri suo, et matri suæ, dicens: Vidi mulierem in Thamnatha de filiabus Philisthinorum: quam quæso ut mihi accipiatis uxorem.
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Cui dixerunt pater et mater sua: Numquid non est mulier in filiabus fratrum tuorum, et in omni populo meo, quia vis accipere uxorem de Philisthiim, qui incircumcisi sunt? Dixitque Samson ad patrem suum: Hanc mihi accipe: quia placuit oculis meis.
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Parentes autem eius nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret, et quæreret occasionem contra Philisthiim. eo enim tempore Philisthiim dominabantur Israeli.
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Descendit itaque Samson cum patre suo et matre in Thamnatha. Cumque venissent ad vineas oppidi, apparuit catulus leonis sævus, et rugiens, et occurrit ei.
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Irruit autem Spiritus Domini in Samson, et dilaceravit leonem, quasi hœdum in frustra discerpens, nihil omnino habens in manu: et hoc patri et matri noluit indicare.
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Descenditque et locutus est mulieri, quæ placuerat oculis eius.
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Et post aliquot dies revertens ut acciperet eam, declinavit ut videret cadaver leonis, et ecce examen apum in ore leonis erat ac favus mellis.
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Quem cum sumpsisset in manibus, comedebat in via: veniensque ad patrem suum et matrem, dedit eis partem, qui et ipsi comederunt: nec tamen eis voluit indicare quod mel de corpore leonis assumpserat.
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Descendit itaque pater eius ad mulierem, et fecit filio suo Samson convivium. sic enim iuvenes facere consueverant.
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Cum ergo cives loci illius vidissent eum, dederunt ei sodales triginta ut essent cum eo.
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Quibus locutus est Samson: Proponam vobis problema: quod si solveritis mihi intra septem dies convivii, dabo vobis triginta sindones, et totidem tunicas:
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sin autem non potueritis solvere, vos dabitis mihi triginta sindones, et eiusdem numeri tunicas. Qui responderunt ei: Propone problema, ut audiamus.
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Dixitque eis: De comedente exivit cibus, et de forti egressa est dulcedo. nec potuerunt per tres dies propositionem solvere.
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Cumque adesset dies septimus, dixerunt ad uxorem Samson: Blandire viro tuo, et suade ei ut indicet tibi quid significet problema. quod si facere nolueris, incendemus te, et domum patris tui. an idcirco vocastis nos ad nuptias ut spoliaretis?
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Quæ fundebat apud Samson lacrymas, et quærebatur dicens: Odisti me, et non diligis: idcirco problema, quod proposuisti filiis populi mei, non vis mihi exponere. At ille respondit: Patri meo et matri nolui dicere: et tibi indicare potero?
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Septem igitur diebus convivii flebat ante eum: tandemque die septimo cum ei esset molesta, exposuit. Quæ statim indicavit civibus suis.
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Et illi dixerunt ei die septimo ante solis occubitum: Quid dulcius melle, et quid fortius leone? Qui ait ad eos: Si non arassetis in vitula mea, non invenissetis propositionem meam.
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Irruit itaque in eum Spiritus Domini, descenditque Ascalonem, et percussit ibi triginta viros. quorum ablatas vestes dedit iis, qui problema solverant. Iratusque nimis ascendit in domum patris sui:
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uxor autem eius accepit maritum unum de amicis eius et pronubis.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
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He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”
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Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
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But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
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Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared at him.
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The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat with his bare hands, but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done.
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He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.
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After a while he returned to take her, and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
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He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother and gave to them, and they ate, but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.
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His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.
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When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
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Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
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but if you can’t tell me the answer, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, that we may hear it.”
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He said to them, “Out of the eater came out food. Out of the strong came out sweetness.” They couldn’t in three days declare the riddle.
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On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Isn’t that so?”
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Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, “You just hate me, and don’t love me. You’ve told a riddle to the children of my people, and haven’t told it to me.” He said to her, “Behold, I haven’t told my father or my mother, so why should I tell you?”
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She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and on the seventh day, he told her, because she pressed him severely; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
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The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have found out my riddle.”
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The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them. He took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
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But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
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And Samson goeth down to Timnath, and seeth a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines,
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and cometh up and declareth to his father, and to his mother, and saith, `A woman I have seen in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; and now, take her for me for a wife.'
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And his father saith to him--also his mother, `Is there not among the daughters of thy brethren, and among all my people, a woman, that thou art going to take a woman from the uncircumcised Philistines?' and Samson saith unto his father, `Take her for me, for she is right in mine eyes.'
4
And his father and his mother have not known that from Jehovah it <FI>is<Fi> , that a meeting he is seeking of the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines are ruling over Israel.
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And Samson goeth down--also his father and his mother, to Timnath, and they come unto the vineyards of Timnath, and lo, a lion's whelp roareth at meeting him,
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and the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and he rendeth it as the rending of a kid, and there is nothing in his hand, and he hath not declared to his father and to his mother that which he hath done.
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And he goeth down and speaketh to the woman, and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
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and he turneth back after <FI>some<Fi> days to take her, and turneth aside to see the carcase of the lion, and lo, a company of bees <FI>are<Fi> in the body of the lion--and honey.
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And he taketh it down on to his hands, and goeth on, going and eating; and he goeth unto his father, and unto his mother, and giveth to them, and they eat, and he hath not declared to them that from the body of the lion he took down the honey.
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And his father goeth down unto the woman, and Samson maketh there a banquet, for so the young men do;
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and it cometh to pass when they see him, that they take thirty companions, and they are with him.
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And Samson saith to them, `Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me <FI>in<Fi> the seven days of the banquet, and have found <FI>it<Fi> out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments;
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and if ye are not able to declare <FI>it<Fi> to me, then ye have given to me thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments.' And they say to him, `Put forth thy riddle, and we hear it!'
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And he saith to them: `Out of the eater came forth meat, And out of the strong came forth sweetness;' and they were not able to declare the riddle <FI>in<Fi> three days.
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And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson's wife, `Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?'
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And Samson's wife weepeth for it, and saith, `Thou hast only hated me, and hast not loved me; the riddle thou hast put forth to the sons of my people--and to me thou hast not declared it;' and he saith to her, `Lo, to my father and to my mother I have not declared <FI>it<Fi> --and to thee I declare <FI>it<Fi> !'
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And she weepeth for it the seven days <FI>in<Fi> which their banquet hath been, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day that he declareth <FI>it<Fi> to her, for she hath distressed him; and she declareth the riddle to the sons of her people.
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And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goeth in: --`What <FI>is<Fi> sweeter than honey? And what stronger than a lion?' And he saith to them: `Unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.'
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And the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and he goeth down to Ashkelon, and smiteth of them thirty men, and taketh their armour, and giveth the changes to those declaring the riddle; and his anger burneth, and he goeth up to the house of his father;
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and Samson's wife becometh his companion's, who <FI>is<Fi> his friend.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).