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Judges 14 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

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Samson’s Philistine Wife
Samson’s Feast and Riddle
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:1 - Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:2 - So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:3 - Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:4 - But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:5 - So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:6 - And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:7 - Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:8 - After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:9 - He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:10 - So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:11 - And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:12 - Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:13 - “But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:14 - So he said to them:

“Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet.”
Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:15 - But it came to pass on the seventh[fn] day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:16 - Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:17 - Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:18 - So the men of the city said to 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 to them:

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have solved my riddle!”
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:19 - Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.
Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 14:20 - And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
NKJV Footnotes
Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint and Syriac read fourth.
NKJV

New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) appearing on or deriving from this or any other web page is for personal use only. Any other use of the NKJV must be in conformity with the Quotation Policy for the New King James Version. For more information about the New King James Version, the Quotation Policy, and for inquiries about permission to use the New King James Version, go to Thomas Nelson, Inc..

For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

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