Judges 14 – NIV & CCBT

New International Version

Judges 14:1-20

Samson’s Marriage

1Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. 2When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”

3His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” 4(His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

5Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. 6The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. 7Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.

8Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. 9He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.

10Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men. 11When the people saw him, they chose thirty men to be his companions.

12“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes. 13If you can’t tell me the answer, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.”

“Tell us your riddle,” they said. “Let’s hear it.”

14He replied,

“Out of the eater, something to eat;

out of the strong, something sweet.”

For three days they could not give the answer.

15On the fourth14:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

16Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me. You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.”

“I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?” 17She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?

What is stronger than a lion?”

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,

you would not have solved my riddle.”

19Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home. 20And Samson’s wife was given to one of his companions who had attended him at the feast.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

士師記 14:1-20

參孫娶非利士女子為妻

1參孫下到亭拿,在那裡看中了一個非利士女子。 2他回到家裡便對父母說:「我在亭拿看中一個非利士女子,把她給我娶來做妻子吧!」 3他父母說:「難道我們的親族和同胞中,沒有一個令你滿意的女子嗎?你為什麼要娶未受割禮的非利士人的女子呢?」參孫卻說:「我很喜歡她,請給我把她娶過來吧!」

4他的父母不知道這事是出於耶和華的旨意,祂要找機會對付非利士人。那時,非利士人統治著以色列

5參孫跟父母一起去亭拿,走到亭拿的葡萄園時,有一頭壯獅吼叫著撲向他。 6耶和華的靈降在參孫身上,他雖然手無寸鐵,竟撕裂了那頭獅子,就像撕裂一隻山羊羔一樣。他沒有把這事告訴父母。 7到了亭拿參孫跟那女子交談,很喜歡她。 8過了些日子,參孫下去迎娶她,途中他順便去看那隻死獅子,見死獅子體內有一群蜜蜂和一些蜂蜜, 9就用手取了一些蜜,邊走邊吃。到了父母那裡,他給了他們一些,他們也吃了。但他沒有告訴父母蜂蜜是從死獅子體內取的。

10參孫的父親去那女子家,參孫按習俗擺設宴席。 11眾人看見參孫,就安排了三十個人陪他。 12參孫對他們說:「我出一個謎語,如果你們可以在這七天的婚宴期間猜出來,我就送你們三十件細麻衣和三十件外袍。 13如果猜不中,你們就要給我三十件細麻衣和三十件外袍。」他們說:「請你出謎語吧!」 14參孫說:

「食物出自食者,

甜物出自強者。」

三天過後,他們仍然猜不出來。

15到了第四天,他們對參孫的妻子說:「你要哄你的丈夫把謎底說出來,不然我們就把你和你父親一家全燒死。你們邀請我們來,難道是要叫我們傾家蕩產嗎?」 16於是,參孫的妻子向他哭訴說:「你是恨我,不是愛我。你給我的族人出了謎語,卻沒有告訴我謎底。」參孫回答說:「我連父母都沒有告訴,又怎能告訴你呢?」 17在七天的婚宴期間,她一直在丈夫跟前哭哭啼啼。到了第七天,參孫經不住妻子的催逼就把謎底告訴了她。她把謎底告訴了她的族人。 18在第七天日落之前,城裡的人對參孫說:

「有什麼比蜂蜜更甜?

有什麼比獅子更強?」

參孫說:

「你們若不是利用我的小母牛耕田,

肯定猜不出來。」

19耶和華的靈降在參孫身上,他便去亞實基倫殺了三十個人,擄走他們的衣服,交給猜中謎語的那些人,然後怒氣沖沖地回父親家去了。 20參孫的妻子後來歸了他的伴郎。