1And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah 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 Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me as wife. 3Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me; for she pleases me well. 4But his father and his mother did not know that it was of Yehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel. 5Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6And the Spirit of Yehovah came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a kid; and he had nothing in his hand: but he did not tell 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 while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9And he took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother, and gave to them, and they ate: but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the body of the lion. 10And his father went down to the woman: and Samson made a feast there; for so the young men used to do. 11And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12And Samson said to them, Let me now put a riddle to you: if you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing; 13but if you cannot declare it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. And they said to him, Put your riddle, that we may hear it. 14And he said to them, Out of the eater came food, And out of the strong came sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle. 15And it happened on the seventh day, that they said to Samson’s wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire: have you called us to impoverish us? is it not so? 16And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, You only hate me, and do not love me: you have put a riddle to the children of my people, and have not told it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it to my father or my mother, and shall I tell you? 17And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it happened on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him hard; and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18And 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 found out my riddle. 19And the Spirit of Yehovah came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck down thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of clothing to those who declared 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.