1وَنَزَلَ شَمْشُونُ إِلَى تِمْنَةَ وَرَأَى امْرَأَةً فِي تِمْنَةَ مِنْ بَنَاتِ الْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ،2فَصَعِدَ وَأَخْبَرَ أَبَاهُ وَأُمَّهُ وَقَالَ، قَدْ رَأَيْتُ امْرَأَةً فِي تِمْنَةَ مِنْ بَنَاتِ الْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ، فَالآنَ خُذَاهَا لِيَ امْرَأَةً.3فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُوهُ وَأُمُّهُ، أَلَيْسَ فِي بَنَاتِ إِخْوَتِكَ وَفِي كُلِّ شَعْبِي امْرَأَةٌ حَتَّى أَنَّكَ ذَاهِبٌ لِتَأْخُذَ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ الْغُلْفِ. فَقَالَ شَمْشُونُ لأَبِيهِ، إِيَّاهَا خُذْ لِي لأَنَّهَا حَسُنَتْ فِي عَيْنَيَّ.4وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَبُوهُ وَأُمُّهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الرَّبِّ لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَطْلُبُ عِلَّةً عَلَى الْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ. وَفِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ كَانَ الْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ مُتَسَلِّطِينَ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ.5فَنَزَلَ شَمْشُونُ وَأَبُوهُ وَأُمُّهُ إِلَى تِمْنَةَ وَأَتَوْا إِلَى كُرُومِ تِمْنَةَ. وَإِذَا بِشِبْلِ أَسَدٍ يُزَمْجِرُ لِلِقَائِهِ.6فَحَلَّ عَلَيْهِ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ، فَشَقَّهُ كَشَقِّ الْجَدْيِ وَلَيْسَ فِي يَدِهِ شَيْءٌ. وَلَمْ يُخْبِرْ أَبَاهُ وَأُمَّهُ بِمَا فَعَلَ.7فَنَزَلَ وَكَلَّمَ الْمَرْأَةَ فَحَسُنَتْ فِي عَيْنَيْ شَمْشُونَ.8وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ لِيَأْخُذَهَا مَالَ لِيَرَى رِمَّةَ الأَسَدِ، وَإِذَا جَمَاعَةٌ النَّحْلِ فِي جَوْفِ الأَسَدِ مَعَ عَسَلٍ.9فَأَخَذَ مِنْهُ عَلَى كَفَّيْهِ، وَكَانَ يَمْشِي وَيَأْكُلُ، وَذَهَبَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَعْطَاهُمَا فَأَكَلاَ، وَلَمْ يُخْبِرْهُمَا أَنَّهُ مِنْ جَوْفِ الأَسَدِ أَخَذَ الْعَسَلَ.10وَنَزَلَ أَبُوهُ إِلَى الْمَرْأَةِ، فَعَمِلَ هُنَاكَ شَمْشُونُ وَلِيمَةً لأَنَّهُ هَكَذَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُ الْفِتْيَانُ.11فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ أَحْضَرُوا ثَلاَثِينَ مِنَ الأَصْحَابِ فَكَانُوا مَعَهُ.12فَقَالَ لَهُمْ شَمْشُونُ، لأُحَاجِيَنَّكُمْ لُغْزاً، فَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمُوهُ لِي فِي سَبْعَةِ أَيَّامِ الْوَلِيمَةِ وَأَصَبْتُمُوهُ أُعْطِيكُمْ ثَلاَثِينَ قَمِيصاً وَثَلاَثِينَ حُلَّةَ ثِيَابٍ.13وَإِنْ لَمْ تَقْدِرُوا أَنْ تَحُلُّوهُ لِي تُعْطُونِي أَنْتُمْ ثَلاَثِينَ قَمِيصاً وَثَلاَثِينَ حُلَّةَ ثِيَابٍ. فَقَالُوا لَهُ، حَاجِ لُغْزَكَ فَنَسْمَعْهُ.14فَقَالَ لَهُمْ، مِنَ الآكِلِ خَرَجَ أَكْلٌ وَمِنَ الْجَافِي خَرَجَتْ حَلاَوَةٌ. فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ يَحُلُّوا الُّلغْزَ فِي ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ.15وَكَانَ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لاِمْرَأَةِ شَمْشُونَ، تَمَلَّقِي رَجُلَكِ لِكَيْ يُظْهِرَ لَنَا الُّلغْزَ لِئَلاَّ نُحْرِقَكِ وَبَيْتَ أَبِيكِ بِنَارٍ. أَلِتَسْلِبُونَا دَعَوْتُمُونَا أَمْ لاَ.16فَبَكَتِ امْرَأَةُ شَمْشُونَ لَدَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ، إِنَّمَا كَرِهْتَنِي وَلاَ تُحِبُّنِي. قَدْ حَاجَيْتَ بَنِي شَعْبِي لُغْزاً وَإِيَّايَ لَمْ تُخْبِرْ. فَقَالَ لَهَا، هُوَذَا أَبِي وَأُمِّي لَمْ أُخْبِرْهُمَا، فَهَلْ إِيَّاكِ أُخْبِرُ.17فَبَكَتْ لَدَيْهِ السَّبْعَةَ الأَيَّامِ الَّتِي فِيهَا كَانَتْ لَهُمُ الْوَلِيمَةُ. وَكَانَ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهَا لأَنَّهَا ضَايَقَتْهُ، فَأَظْهَرَتِ الُّلغْزَ لِبَنِي شَعْبِهَا.18فَقَالَ لَهُ رِجَالُ الْمَدِينَةِ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ قَبْلَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ، أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْعَسَلِ، وَمَا أَجْفَى مِنَ الأَسَدِ. فَقَالَ لَهُمْ، لَوْ لَمْ تَحْرُثُوا مَعَ عِجْلَتِي لَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ لُغْزِي.19وَحَلَّ عَلَيْهِ رُوحُ الرَّبِّ فَنَزَلَ إِلَى أَشْقَلُونَ وَقَتَلَ مِنْهُمْ ثَلاَثِينَ رَجُلاً، وَأَخَذَ سَلَبَهُمْ وَأَعْطَى الْحُلَلَ لِمُظْهِرِي الُّلغْزِ. وَحَمِيَ غَضَبُهُ وَصَعِدَ إِلَى بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ.20فَصَارَتِ امْرَأَةُ شَمْشُونَ لِصَاحِبِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يُصَاحِبُهُ.
1And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.2And 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.3Then 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.4But 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.5Then 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.6And 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.7And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.8And 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.9And 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.10So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.12And 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:13But 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.14And 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.15And 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 ?16And 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?17And 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.18And 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.19And 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.20But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.