Judges 14 - The Passion Translation(TPT)

Samson Wants a Wife

1One day Samson went down to Timnah where a Philistine girl caught his eye,

2so he returned home and told his parents, “At Timnah I noticed a young woman among the daughters of the Philistines; get her for me now to be my wife.”

3His parents replied, “Why can’t you find a woman from among our relatives, or at least from our tribe? You don’t have to get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.”

But Samson told his father, “Get her for me; I know she’s the right one for me.”

4Now, his parents had no idea that Samson’s passion for the girl was part of Yahweh’s plan to create an opportunity to come against the Philistines who ruled over Israel at that time.

Samson and the Lion

5One day, Samson decided to go back to Timnah to visit the Philistine woman. As he was approaching the vineyards of Timnah, a full-grown lion suddenly came roaring toward him.

6The Spirit of Yahweh entered Samson and empowered him to tear the lion to pieces with his bare hands as if it were a young goat! But he never disclosed to his father and mother what he had done.

7Afterward, he went into Timnah and talked with the Philistine woman, because Samson was convinced that she was the right one for him.

8Later, Samson returned to marry her. On his way there, he turned aside to look at the lion’s remains, and to his surprise, there was a swarm of bees, honey, and honeycomb in the carcass of the lion!

9He scooped some of the honey into his hands and continued on his way, eating as he went. When he rejoined his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they ate too. But he did not tell them he had scooped it from the lion’s carcass.

10So Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah to arrange the marriage.

Samson’s Wedding Feast

Following the custom for young men about to marry, Samson threw a party that lasted for seven days.

11When the Philistines saw him, they arranged for thirty Philistine men to accompany him as groomsmen.

12Samson challenged them with a riddle, “Hey, I have a riddle for you. If you can solve my riddle within the seven days of our feast, then I will give each of you a linen garment and a set of fine clothing.

13But if you cannot solve it, then you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of fine clothing.”

“Ask away,” they said to him. “Let’s hear your riddle.”

14He said to them:

“From the eater came something to eat,

From the strong came something sweet.”

After three days, they were still stumped and could not figure it out.

15On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s bride, “Have you invited us here to bankrupt us? Do whatever it takes to persuade your husband to tell you the answer to his riddle, or we will burn down your father’s house with you and your family inside!”

16So Samson’s bride went to him and turned on the tears and sobbed, “Honey, you don’t really love me! You hate me! You’ve challenged my countrymen with a riddle, but you haven’t told me its meaning!”

“Listen,” he said to her. “I haven’t even told my parents. So why should I tell you?”

17She continued to cry on his shoulder for the remaining days of their feast, and on the seventh day, because she had so persistently nagged him, he finally gave in and divulged the secret. Then she went and explained the riddle to her countrymen.

18On the seventh day before the sun had set, the townsmen answered him:

“What could be sweeter than honey?

And what is stronger than a lion?”

And Samson angrily replied,

“If you hadn’t used my cow for your plow

you wouldn’t know my riddle now!”

19Then suddenly, the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon Samson, infusing him with power! He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men. He stripped them of their linen tunics and their robes and gave them in payment to those who had explained the riddle. Then, in a blazing fury, he returned to his father’s house.

20Meanwhile, unknown to Samson, his bride married his best man.