1Samson went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman there.
2He went back and told his father and mother, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me to be my wife."
3His father and mother asked him, "Isn't there a woman among your relatives or among all our people, that you have to go and marry a Philistine, who is uncircumcised?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me, because she is the right one for me."
4His father and mother did not know that this was Yahweh's plan, as he was looking for an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines ruled over Israel.
5Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When they reached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion roared at him.
6The Spirit of Yahweh powerfully came upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as easily as tearing a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson very much.
8Some time later, when he returned to marry her, he went off the road to look at the lion's carcass. Inside, he found a swarm of bees and honey.
9He scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he walked. When he rejoined his father and mother, he gave them some, and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass.
10His father went down to the woman, and Samson held a feast there, as was customary for young men.
11When the Philistines saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can explain it to me within the seven days of the feast and figure it out, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.
13But if you can’t tell me the answer, then you must give me thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of clothes.” They replied, “Tell us your riddle so we can hear it.”
14He told them, “Out of the one who eats came something to eat. Out of the strong one came something sweet.” They couldn’t solve the riddle in three days.
15On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Persuade your husband to tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Did you invite us here just to make us poor? Isn’t that true?”
16Samson’s wife cried to him and said, “You just hate me and don’t love me. You told a riddle to my people but haven’t told it to me.” He answered her, “Look, I haven’t even told my father or mother, so why should I tell you?”
17She cried to him for the seven days their feast lasted. On the seventh day, he told her because she pressed him so hard, and she told the riddle to her people.
18On the seventh day, before the sun went down, the men of the city asked him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He replied, “If you hadn’t plowed with my young cow, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle.”
19The Spirit of Yahweh came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty men there, took their belongings, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had solved the riddle. His anger was burning, and he went back to his father’s house.
20But Samson’s wife was given to his best man, who had been his friend.