The Birth of Samson
1 The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.
2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children. 3 The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, “You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son. 4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food; 5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the angel of God. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. 7 But he did tell me that I would become pregnant and have a son. He told me not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food, because the boy is to be dedicated to God as a nazirite as long as he lives.”
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God that you sent come back to us and tell us what we must do with the boy when he is born.”
9 God did what Manoah asked, and his angel came back to the woman while she was sitting in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her, 10 so she ran at once and told him, “Look! The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again.”
11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. He went to the man and asked, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”
“Yes,” he answered.
12 Then Manoah said, “Now then, when your words come true, what must the boy do? What kind of a life must he lead?”
13 The Lord's angel answered, “Your wife must be sure to do everything that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine; she must not drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food. She must do everything that I have told her.”
15-16 Not knowing that it was the Lord's angel, Manoah said to him, “Please do not go yet. Let us cook a young goat for you.”
But the angel said, “If I do stay, I will not eat your food. But if you want to prepare it, burn it as an offering to the Lord.”
17 Manoah replied, “Tell us your name, so that we can honor you when your words come true.”
18 The angel asked, “Why do you want to know my name? It is a name of wonder.”
19 So Manoah took a young goat and some grain, and offered them on the rock altar to the Lord who works wonders. 20-21 While the flames were going up from the altar, Manoah and his wife saw the Lord's angel go up toward heaven in the flames. Manoah realized then that the man had been the Lord's angel, and he and his wife threw themselves face downward on the ground. They never saw the angel again.
22 Manoah said to his wife, “We are sure to die, because we have seen God!”
23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our offerings; he would not have shown us all this or told us such things at this time.”
24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Lord's power began to strengthen him while he was between Zorah and Eshtaol in the Camp of Dan.
Simsona dzimšana
(4Moz 6:1–21)1 Atkal Israēla dēli darīja to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs, un Kungs četrdesmit gadus viņus nodeva filistiešu rokās.
2 Bija kāds vīrs no Coras, no Dāna dzimtas, vārdā Mānohs, viņa sieva bija neauglīga un nebija dzemdējusi. 3 Kunga eņģelis parādījās tai sievai un teica: “Redzi, tu neauglīgā un nedzemdējusī, tu ieņemsi un dzemdēsi dēlu! 4 Tad nu sargies dzert vīnu un reibinošu dzērienu un ēst nešķīstu! 5 Redzi, tu ieņemsi un dzemdēsi dēlu, skujamais nazis lai neiet pār viņa galvu, jo šis zēns ir Dieva nazīrietis kopš dzimšanas! Viņš sāks atpestīt Israēlu no filistiešiem.” 6 Tad šī sieva nāca un sacīja savam vīram: “Pie manis bija atnācis Dieva vīrs, viņš izskatījās kā Dieva eņģelis – ļoti baismīgs! Es viņam nejautāju, no kurienes viņš un kā viņu sauc, un viņš man to neteica. 7 Bet viņš man sacīja: redzi, tu ieņemsi un dzemdēsi dēlu! Tad nu nedzer vīnu un reibinošu dzērienu un neēd neko nešķīstu, lai šis zēns būtu Dieva nazīrietis kopš dzimšanas līdz nāves dienai!”
8 Tad Mānohs pielūdza Kungu, sacīdams: “Lūdzu, mans Kungs, lai Dieva vīrs, ko tu sūtīji, atkal nāk pie mums un māca, ko mums darīt ar zēnu, kurš piedzims!” 9 Dievs uzklausīja Mānohu, un Dieva eņģelis atkal atnāca pie tās sievas, kad viņa sēdēja laukā, bet viņas vīrs Mānohs nebija kopā ar viņu. 10 Un sieva steidzīgi skrēja un stāstīja savam vīram: “Redzi, man ir parādījies tas vīrs, kurš todien bija atnācis pie manis!” 11 Mānohs cēlās, devās līdzi savai sievai un, atnācis pie tā vīra, teica viņam: “Vai tu esi tas, kurš runāja ar šo sievu?” Viņš atbildēja: “Es.” 12 Tad Mānohs teica: “Tagad, kad tavs sacītais būs piepildījies, saki, kas šim zēnam ir nospriests un darāms?” 13 Un Kunga eņģelis teica Mānoham: “No visa, ko es teicu šai sievai, lai viņa sargās! 14 Lai viņa neēd neko, kas ir no vīnakoka, vīnu un reibinošu dzērienu lai viņa nedzer un lai neēd neko nešķīstu. Lai viņa ievēro visu, ko es viņai pavēlēju!” 15 Un Mānohs teica Kunga eņģelim: “Ļauj, mēs tevi aizkavēsim un sagatavosim tev kādu kazlēnu!” 16 Bet Kunga eņģelis atbildēja Mānoham: “Ja arī tu mani aizkavēsi, es neēdīšu tavu ēdienu, bet, ja tu sagatavosi sadedzināmo upuri Kungam, tad dari to!” – Mānohs nezināja, ka tas ir Kunga eņģelis. 17 Un Mānohs prasīja Kunga eņģelim: “Kā tevi sauc? Lai mēs varam tevi godināt, kad tevis sacītais piepildīsies!” 18 Kunga eņģelis viņam sacīja: “Kāpēc tu prasi manu vārdu? Tas ir brīnumains.”
19 Tad Mānohs ņēma kazlēnu un savu dāvanu un upurēja uz klints Kungam – tam, kurš ir brīnumains savos darbos. Mānohs un viņa sieva skatījās. 20 Kad liesma no altāra cēlās pret debesīm, Kunga eņģelis pacēlās augšup altāra liesmā. Mānohs un viņa sieva to redzēja, un viņi krita uz sava vaiga pie zemes. 21 Kunga eņģelis vairs neparādījās ne Mānoham, ne viņa sievai. Tad Mānohs saprata, ka tas bijis Kunga eņģelis. 22 Un Mānohs teica savai sievai: “Mirtin mums jāmirst, jo mēs Dievu esam redzējuši!” 23 Bet viņa sieva tam teica: “Ja Kungs būtu gribējis mūs nonāvēt, viņš nebūtu pieņēmis mūsu sadedzināmo upuri un dāvanu un nebūtu mums visu šo rādījis, nedz pasludinājis šīs lietas.” 24 Sieva dzemdēja dēlu un nosauca viņu vārdā Simsons. Zēns auga, un Kungs viņu svētīja. 25 Kunga Gars sāka viņu skubināt Dāna apmetnē starp Coru un Eštāolu.
