1And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.13.1 did evil…: Heb. added to commit, etc
2¶ And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6¶ Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: 7But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8¶ Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. 11And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?13.12 How shall we order…: Heb. What shall be the manner of the, etc13.12 how shall we do…: or, what shall he do?: Heb. what shall be his work? 13And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
15¶ And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.13.15 for thee: Heb. before thee 16And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD. 17And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? 18And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?13.18 secret: or, wonderful 19So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. 21But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24¶ And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.13.25 the camp…: Heb. Mahaneh-dan
參孫的出生
1以色列人又做耶和華視為惡的事，耶和華就把他們交在非利士人手中四十年。
2瑣拉城住了一個但支派的人，名叫瑪挪亞。他妻子不能生養，沒有孩子。 3耶和華的天使向那婦人顯現，對她說：「你雖然多年不育，但不久你必懷孕生一個兒子。 4所以，你要留心，不可喝淡酒和烈酒，不可吃不潔之物。 5你必懷孕生一個兒子，你不可為他剃頭，因為他一出生就要歸給上帝做拿細耳人13·5 「拿細耳人」參見民數記6·1-8。。他要從非利士人手中拯救以色列人。」 6婦人就去對丈夫說：「有一位上帝的僕人向我顯現，他的容貌像上帝的天使，非常可畏。我沒有問他從哪裡來，他也沒有把名字告訴我。 7他對我說，『你必懷孕生一個兒子，所以不可喝淡酒和烈酒，不可吃不潔之物，因為孩子一出生就要獻給耶和華，終生做拿細耳人。』」
8瑪挪亞向耶和華祈求說：「主啊，求你再派你的僕人到這裡來，教我們怎樣照顧要出生的孩子。」 9上帝應允了他的祈求。他妻子正坐在田間的時候，上帝的天使再次向她顯現。當時她丈夫瑪挪亞不在場。 10她趕忙跑去告訴她丈夫說：「那天來的那人又向我顯現了。」 11瑪挪亞立刻跟隨妻子來到那人面前，問他：「那天跟我妻子說話的就是你嗎？」他答道：「是我。」 12瑪挪亞問道：「你的話應驗以後，我們應該怎樣撫養這孩子？他該做什麼？」 13耶和華的天使說：「你的妻子必須謹記我的一切吩咐。 14她不可吃葡萄樹所結的果實，淡酒和烈酒都不可喝，不可吃任何不潔之物。她必須遵行我的一切吩咐。」
15瑪挪亞說：「請你留下來，我們要預備一隻山羊羔給你吃。」 16當時，瑪挪亞仍然不知道那人是耶和華的天使。天使說：「我就是留下來也不會吃你預備的食物。如果你預備燔祭，就把它獻給耶和華吧！」 17瑪挪亞說：「請告訴我你的名字，當一切應驗的時候，我們好向你表達敬意。」 18耶和華的天使說：「何必問我的名字呢？我的名字奇妙難測。」 19於是，瑪挪亞就把一隻山羊羔和素祭放在磐石上，獻給耶和華。就在這時候，天使在瑪挪亞和他妻子面前行了一件奇妙的事： 20火焰從祭壇上升起的時候，耶和華的天使也在祭壇的火焰中升上去了。瑪挪亞夫婦見狀，便俯伏在地。
21耶和華的天使後來沒再向瑪挪亞和他妻子顯現，瑪挪亞才知道他是耶和華的天使。 22瑪挪亞對妻子說：「我們必死無疑，因為我們看見了上帝。」 23他妻子卻說：「如果耶和華要殺我們，祂就不會接受我們的燔祭和素祭了，也不會讓我們看見這些事並告訴我們這些話了。」
24後來瑪挪亞的妻子生了個兒子，她給孩子取名叫參孫。這孩子漸漸長大，耶和華賜福給他。 25當他在瑣拉和以實陶之間的瑪哈尼·但的時候，耶和華的靈開始感動他。
