Judges 14:18

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

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.'

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    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.

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    And 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.

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    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.

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    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.

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    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.

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    Then sayde the men of the cite vnto him vpon the seuenth daye oreuer the Sonne wente downe: What is sweter then hony? What is strouger then the lyon? But he sayde vnto the: Yf ye had not plowed wt my calfe, ye shulde not haue founde out my ryddle.

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    And the men of ye citie sayde vnto him the seuenth day before the Sunne went downe, What is sweeter then honie? and what is stronger then a lyon? Then sayd hee vnto them, If yee had not plowed with my heiffer, yee had not found out my riddle.

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    And the men of the citie sayd vnto him the seuenth day, before the sunne went downe: What is sweeter then hony? and what is stronger then a Lion? Then sayd he vnto them: Yf ye had not plowed with my heyffer, ye had not founde out my riddle.

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    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.

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    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? He said to them, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, You wouldn't have found out my riddle.

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goeth in: -- `What `is' sweeter than honey? And what stronger than a lion?' And he saith to them: `Unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.'

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    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.

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    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.

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    Then on the seventh day, before he went into the bride's room, the men of the town said to him, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not been ploughing with my cow you would not have got the answer to my question.

  • World English Bible (2000)

    The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" He said to them, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have found out my riddle."

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”He said to them,“If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 14:11-17
    7 verses
    83%

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

    12Samson 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.

    13But 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.'

    14So 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.

    15On 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?'

    16So 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?'

    17She 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.

  • Judg 14:19
    75%

    19Then 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.

  • Judg 14:5-9
    5 verses
    74%

    5Then 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.

    6The 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.

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

    8Later, 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.

    9He 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.

  • 1 Sam 14:25-27
    3 verses
    69%

    25The entire army entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground.

    26When the people entered the forest, they saw honey flowing, but no one dared to lift a hand to his mouth because the people were afraid of the oath.

    27Jonathan, however, had not heard his father make the people swear the oath. So he reached out the tip of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and raised it to his mouth. His eyes then brightened.

  • Judg 19:21-22
    2 verses
    68%

    21He brought him into his house and provided fodder for the donkeys. They washed their feet, ate, and drank.

    22While they were enjoying themselves, some wicked men of the city surrounded the house. They pounded on the door and said to the old man, the owner of the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him."

  • 1 Sam 14:29-30
    2 verses
    67%

    29Jonathan said, 'My father has brought trouble to the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted just a little of this honey.'

    30How much better it would have been if the men had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the defeat of the Philistines have been even greater?

  • Judg 8:14-16
    3 verses
    67%

    14He captured a young man from Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the leaders of Succoth and its elders—seventy-seven men.

    15Then Gideon went to the men of Succoth and said, 'Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, “Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your exhausted men?”'

    16He then took the elders of the city, along with thorns and briers from the wilderness, and used them to teach the men of Succoth a lesson.

  • Judg 4:19-20
    2 verses
    66%

    19He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.

    20He said to her, "Stand at the entrance to the tent. If anyone comes and asks you, 'Is there a man here?' say, 'No.'"

  • 1 Kgs 13:28
    66%

    28He went and found the man's body lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey.

  • Judg 16:15-16
    2 verses
    66%

    15Then Delilah said to him, 'How can you say, “I love you,” when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and have not told me the secret of your great strength.'

    16With her nagging she pressed him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

  • Judg 16:5
    66%

    5The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, 'Entice him and find out the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so that we may tie him up and subdue him. Each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.'

  • 2 Sam 17:29
    66%

    29They also brought honey, butter, sheep, and cheese from cattle for David and the people with him to eat. They said, 'The people are hungry, exhausted, and thirsty in the wilderness.'

  • 1 Kgs 13:24
    66%

    24As he was traveling, a lion met him on the road and killed him. His body was thrown on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

  • Judg 15:15
    66%

    15Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he reached out, took it, and struck down a thousand men with it.

  • Judg 5:25
    66%

    25He asked for water, and she gave him milk; in a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him curd.

  • Prov 24:13
    65%

    13Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to your taste.

  • Judg 15:10-11
    2 verses
    65%

    10The men of Judah asked, "Why have you come to attack us?" They replied, "We have come to tie up Samson and do to him as he has done to us."

    11Then three thousand men of Judah went to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Don’t you know that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?" He replied, "I only did to them what they did to me."

  • Job 38:39
    65%

    39Can you hunt prey for the lion or satisfy the hunger of young lions,

  • Num 31:33
    65%

    3372,000 cattle,

  • Judg 7:14
    65%

    14His companion responded, "This can only mean the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has delivered Midian and the entire camp into his hands."

  • Judg 8:21
    65%

    21Zebah and Zalmunna said, 'Get up yourself and strike us down, for a man is judged by his strength.' So Gideon got up, killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.

  • Judg 14:3
    65%

    3But 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.'

  • Prov 30:30
    65%

    30A lion, mighty among beasts, who does not retreat before any;

  • 1 Sam 15:14
    65%

    14But Samuel said, 'What is this sound of sheep and cattle that I hear?'

  • Josh 2:14
    65%

    14The men said to her, "Our lives for your lives! If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."

  • Job 6:5
    64%

    5Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass? Or does an ox low over its fodder?

  • Job 39:21
    64%

    21It paws eagerly in the valley, rejoices in its strength, and charges into the battle.

  • Judg 8:2
    64%

    2But Gideon replied to them, 'What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s harvest better than the full harvest of Abiezer?'

  • 1 Sam 17:34
    64%

    34David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,'