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.
1 Bet Israēla bērni joprojām darīja to, kas bija ļauns Tā Kunga acīs, un Tas Kungs tos nodeva filistiešu rokās četrdesmit gadus. 2 Un tur bija kāds vīrs no Coras, Dana cilts, tā vārds bija Manua, un viņa sieva bija neauglīga, un tā nebija vēl dzemdējusi. 3 Tad Tā Kunga eņģelis parādījās šai sievai un sacīja viņai: "Redzi, tu domā, ka tu esi neauglīga, jo tu neesi dzemdējusi, bet tu kļūsi grūta, un tu dzemdēsi dēlu. 4 Tādēļ esi piesardzīga un nedzer vīnu, nedz reibinošus dzērienus un neēd neko tādu, kas ir nešķīsts. 5 Jo, redzi, tu kļūsi grūta un dzemdēsi dēlu, un skujamam nazim nebūs nākt pār viņa galvu, jo zēns būs nazīrietis, novēlēts Dievam; lai viņš ir tāds, no mātes klēpja nākot, un viņš sāks glābt Israēlu no filistiešu rokas." 6 Pēc tam šī sieva atgriezās un sacīja savam vīram: "Pie manis atnāca Dieva vīrs, un viņa izskats bija kā Dieva eņģeļa izskats, ļoti bijājams, un es viņu nejautāju, no kurienes tas ir, un viņš man arī neteica savu vārdu. 7 Bet viņš man sacīja: "Redzi, tu kļūsi grūta un dzemdēsi dēlu; bet tagad nedzer vīnu, nedz stiprus reibinošus dzērienus un neēd neko tādu, kas ir nešķīsts, jo šis zēns būs nazīrietis, novēlēts Dievam, sākot ar viņa piedzimšanu līdz pat viņa nāves dienai." 8 Tad Manua lūdza To Kungu un teica: "Ak, Kungs, es Tevi lūdzu, lai tas Dieva vīrs, ko Tu biji sūtījis, vēlreiz atnāk pie mums un pamāca mūs, kā mēs ar to zēnu, kam ir jāpiedzimst, lai rīkojamies." 9 Un Dievs uzklausīja Manuas balsi, un Dieva eņģelis vēlreiz atnāca pie sievas; viņa bija atsēdusies tīrumā, bet viņas vīrs Manua nebija pie viņas. 10 Tad šī sieva steidzās un skrēja un sacīja savam vīram: "Redzi, man ir parādījies tas pats vīrs, kas bija pie manis atnācis viņdien." 11 Tad Manua piecēlās, sekoja savai sievai un gāja pie tā vīra, un tam sacīja: "Vai tu esi tas vīrs, kurš esi ar šo sievu runājis?" Un tas sacīja: "Es tas esmu." 12 Tad Manua teica: "Ja tavs vārds piepildītos, kā tad vajadzētu rīkoties ar šo zēnu, un kas viņam būs jādara?" 13 Tad Tā Kunga eņģelis sacīja Manuam: "Šī sieva lai atturas no visa tā, ko es viņai esmu minējis. 14 Neko, kas izaug no vīna koka, viņai nebūs ēst, un viņai nebūs dzert ne vīnu, ne stiprus reibinošus dzērienus, un viņai nebūs neko tādu ēst, kas ir nešķīsts; visu, ko es esmu viņai pavēlējis, to lai viņa ievēro." 15 Tad Manua sacīja Tā Kunga eņģelim: "Mēs gribam tevi vēl aizkavēt, līdz cienastam sagatavojam tev kazlēnu." 16 Bet Tā Kunga eņģelis sacīja Manuam: "Ja tu mani arī aizturētu, es tomēr tavu ēdienu neēstu, bet, ja tu gribi dedzināmo upuri nest, tad nes to Tam Kungam." - Manua nezināja, ka tas bija Tā Kunga eņģelis. 17 Un Manua jautāja Tā Kunga eņģelim: "Kā tevi sauc? Ja tavs vārds piepildītos, tad mēs gribētu tevi godināt." 18 Bet Tā Kunga eņģelis viņam sacīja: "Kāpēc tu tā prasi - kāds mans vārds? Tas ir noslēpums." 19 Un Manua ņēma kazlēnu līdz ar ēdamo upuri pie tā un upurēja to kā dedzināmo upuri uz klints Tam Kungam. Un viņš lika notikt brīnišķīgām lietām, Manua un viņa sieva skatīja tās. 20 Un redzi, tiklīdz liesma no altāra pacēlās augšup pret debesīm, tā arī Tā Kunga eņģelis devās augšup altāra liesmā. Kad Manua un viņa sieva to redzēja, tad viņi krita uz sava vaiga pie zemes. 21 Bet Tā Kunga eņģelis vairs neatklājās nedz Manuam, nedz viņa sievai, un tikai tad Manua saprata, ka tas bija bijis Tā Kunga eņģelis. 22 Tad Manua sacīja savai sievai: "Mēs mirdami mirsim, tādēļ ka esam Dievu redzējuši." 23 Bet viņa sieva sacīja viņam: "Ja Tam Kungam būtu paticis mūs nonāvēt, tad Viņš nebūtu pieņēmis no mūsu rokām nedz dedzināmo upuri, nedz ēdamo upuri; viņš arī nebūtu mums visas šīs lietas parādījis, nedz arī visu to mums licis dzirdēt šinī laikā. 24 Un sieva dzemdēja dēlu un nosauca viņu vārdā Simsons; un zēns pieauga, un Tas Kungs viņu svētīja. 25 Un Tā Kunga Gars sāka viņā rosīties, tas notika Dana nometnē, starp Coru un Eštaolu.
