1 Samson went down to Timnah, and there he saw a woman from among the daughters of the Philistines.

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 He returned and told his father and mother, 'I have seen a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me as a wife.'

And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

3 But his father and mother said to him, 'Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives or among all our people, that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?' Yet Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, because she is right in my eyes.'

Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

4 Now his father and mother did not know that this was from the LORD, for he was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When they came to the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

6 The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one might tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

7 Then he went down and spoke to the woman, and she pleased Samson.

And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8 Later, when he returned to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass. Inside it, he saw a swarm of bees and some honey.

And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

9 He scooped the honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. When he returned to his father and mother, he gave them some, and they ate it too. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.

And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for young men.

So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11 When the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12 Samson said to them, 'Let me now pose a riddle to you. If you can tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast and solve it, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothing.

And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:

13 But if you cannot solve it, then you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothing.' And they said to him, 'Pose your riddle, and we will hear it.'

But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14 So he said to them, 'Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.' But for three days they could not solve the riddle.

And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15 On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, 'Entice your husband to tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s household with fire. Did you invite us here to impoverish us?'

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

16 So Samson’s wife wept before him and said, 'You only hate me; you do not love me. You have posed a riddle to my people, but you have not told me the answer.' He replied, 'I have not even told it to my father or mother; why should I tell you?'

And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

17 She cried before him the entire seven days of the feast, and on the seventh day, he told her because she pressed him so much. Then she revealed the answer to the riddle to her people.

And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to him, 'What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?' Samson replied to them, 'If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.'

And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, took their belongings, and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went back to his father’s house.

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best friend.

But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.