Judges, Chapter 14:

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

Samson's Wedding

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

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