Judges, Chapter 14:

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Verses from Judges, Chapter 14 of the book of Judges in the Bible.

Samson's wedding

1. Samson went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman there.
2. When he returned home, he said to his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah; get her to be my wife.”
3. His parents asked him: “Are there no women among our relatives or among our people? Why do you need to marry an uncircumcised Philistine?” But Samson replied to his father: “Get her for me, she is the one I like.”
4. His parents did not know that this was the will of the Lord, who was looking for an opportunity against the Philistines, who at that time dominated Israel.
5. Samson went to Timnah with his parents. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, a strong lion came roaring toward them.
6. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he, with nothing in his hands, tore the lion as if it were a goat. But he didn't tell his parents what he had done.
7. So he went to talk to the woman he liked.
8. Some time later, when he returned to marry her, Samson went out of the way to look at the lion's corpse, and found a swarm of bees and honey on the body.
9. He took the honey in his hands and began to eat it as he went on his way. When he returned to his parents, he also gave them some honey, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's corpse.
10. Samson's father went to the woman's house, and Samson gave a banquet there, as was the custom for newlyweds.
11. When the guests arrived, they brought thirty young men to keep Samson company during the party.
12. Samson said to them, “I will pose a riddle to you. If you can find the answer during the seven days of the festival, I will give you thirty sets of fine clothes and thirty changes of clothes.
13. But if you cannot give me the answer, you will have to give me thirty sets of fine clothes and thirty changes of clothes.” “So, what is your riddle?” they said. "Let's listen".
14. Samson said, “Something edible came from what is edible, and something sweet came from what is strong.” For three days they were unable to discover the answer.
15. On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, “Persuade your husband to tell us the riddle. Otherwise, we will set you and your father's house on fire, and you will die. Did you invite us to rob us?”
16. Then Samson's wife cried profusely: “You hate me! You do not love me! You gave us a riddle but didn’t tell us the answer!” “I didn’t even tell my father or mother,” he replied. “Why should I tell you?”
17. She cried the rest of the week of the party. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her, because she kept bothering him. And she revealed the riddle to her people.
18. Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city came to Samson and said, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than the lion?” Samson replied, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have discovered my riddle.”
19. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson. He went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their clothes and gave them to those who had deciphered the riddle. Then he became furious and returned to his father's house.
20. Samson's wife was given to the friend who had been his companion at the wedding.