1 Un reiz Simsons nogāja lejā uz Timnu, un viņš ieraudzīja kādu jaunu meitu Timnā no filistiešu meitām. 2 Atgriezies atpakaļ kalnos, viņš to stāstīja savam tēvam un savai mātei, teikdams: "Es redzēju kādu jaunu meitu Timnā, no filistiešu meitām; nu tagad ņemiet viņu man par sievu!" 3 Tad viņa tēvs un viņa māte viņam teica: "Vai tad tiešām nav tavu radu starpā meitu un visas mūsu tautas vidū sievu, ka tu ej, lai sev ņemtu sievu no filistiešiem, šiem neapgraizītajiem?" Bet Simsons atbildēja savam tēvam: "Tikai šo tu ņem man par sievu, jo viņa ir manām acīm tīkama." 4 Bet viņa tēvs un viņa māte nezināja, ka Tas Kungs pats to tā bija izkārtojis, lai pārmācītu filistiešus; filistieši tanī laikā valdīja pār Israēlu. 5 Tad Simsons ar savu tēvu un ar savu māti devās lejā uz Timnu. Pie Timnas vīna dārziem viņam pretī rūkdams izlēca jauns lauva. 6 Un Tā Kunga Gars nāca pār Simsonu, un viņš saplēsa lauvu, itin kā kazlēnu saplēš, un viņa rokās nebija nekā; bet viņš ne savam tēvam, ne savai mātei neteica, ko viņš bija darījis. 7 Un viņš nonāca un runāja ar šo jauno meitu, un viņa ļoti patika Simsona acīm. 8 Kad viņš pēc kāda laika griezās atpakaļ, lai viņu precētu, tad viņš mazliet nogriezās no ceļa, lai apraudzītu lauvas maitu, un redzi, nedzīvajā lauvas ķermenī bija bišu spiets un medus. 9 Un viņš to ar savām rokām izņēma un pa ceļam to ēda un gāja pie sava tēva un pie savas mātes, viņš arī tiem deva, un tie ēda, bet viņš tiem nesacīja, ka viņš medu bija izņēmis no lauvas maitas. 10 Kad viņa tēvs atkal nogāja pie šīs jaunās meitas, Simsons tur sarīkoja dzīres, kā to jauni vīri mēdza darīt. 11 Un, kad viņi ieraudzīja Simsonu, tad viņi ataicināja trīsdesmit vedējus, kas lai būtu pie viņa. 12 Tad Simsons viņiem teica: "Es gribu jums dot atminēt mīklu, un tā jums man ir jāatmin septiņu dienu laikā, kamēr ir dzīres, un, ja jūs pareizi atbildēsit, tad es jums došu trīsdesmit linu audekla kreklus un trīsdesmit svētku kārtas. 13 Bet, ja jūs nevarēsit man to atminēt, tad jums man būs jādod trīsdesmit linu audekla krekli un trīsdesmit svētku kārtas." Un tie viņam sacīja: "Pasaki mums savu mīklu, lai mēs to dzirdam!" 14 Tad viņš tiem sacīja: "Barība iznāca no rijēja, no stiprā izplūda saldums." Bet tie nespēja mīklu atminēt trijās dienās. 15 Un septītajā dienā tie sacīja Simsona sievai: "Pierunā tu savu vīru, lai viņš mums šo mīklu izstāsta, citādi mēs tevi līdz ar tavu tēva namu sadedzināsim ugunī. Vai tad jūs esat mūs aicinājuši, lai no mums tikai iedzīvotos?" 16 Tad Simsona sieva raudāja pie viņa krūts un sacīja: "Tu tik mani ienīsti, bet nemaz mani nemīli: tu esi uzdevis manas tautas dēliem mīklu, bet man tu to nesaki!" Un viņš sacīja: "Redzi, es neesmu ne savam tēvam, ne savai mātei to pateicis, kā tad lai es tev to saku?" 17 Bet tā raudāja pie viņa septiņas dienas, kamēr tiem bija kāzu dzīres, un tad notika, ka septītajā dienā viņš tai to izstāstīja, jo tā neatlaidīgi mācās virsū, bet mīklas atrisinājumu viņa izstāstīja savas tautas dēliem. 18 Tad pilsētas vīri viņam sacīja septītajā dienā, pirms saule norietēja: "Kas ir saldāks nekā medus? Un kas ir stiprāks nekā lauva?" Bet viņš tiem sacīja: "Ja jūs nebūtu aruši ar manu teli, tad jūs arī nebūtu atminējuši manu mīklu!" 19 Tad Tā Kunga Gars nāca pār viņu, un viņš nogāja uz Aškalonu, un tur viņš nosita trīsdesmit vīrus, novilka viņiem drēbes un iedeva viņu svētku kārtas tiem, kuri bija mīklu atminējuši. 20 Bet Simsona sievu ņēma viens no tiem, kas bija bijis viņa vedējos.
Samson Gets Married
1 One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman. 2 When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”
3 His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?”
“She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”
4 At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the Lord wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.
5 As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson. 6 But the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.
7 When they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.
8 Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey. 9 He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.
10 While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did. 11 When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told 30 of their young men to stay with him at the party.
12 Samson told the 30 young men, “This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the answer before the party is over, I'll give each of you a shirt and a full change of clothing. 13 But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.”
“It's a bet!” the Philistines said. “Tell us the riddle.”
14 Samson said:
Once so strong and mighty—
now so sweet and tasty!
Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer. 15 Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.”
16 Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.”
“But I haven't even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied. “Why should I tell you?”
17 For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.
18 Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer:
A lion is the strongest—
honey is the sweetest!
Samson replied,
This answer you have given me
doubtless came
from my bride-to-be.
19 Then the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where he killed 30 men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the 30 young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.
20 The father of the bride made Samson's wife marry one of the 30 young men that had been at Samson's party.
