Samson's riddle.

CHAP. XIV, XV. He burns the Philistines' corn.

o move him at times in the camp of Dan, day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Enbetween Zorah and Eshtaol. tice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy

CHAP. XIV.

Samson went down Timnath, father's with have called

I

and saw a woman in Timnath of the us to take that we have? is it not so? daughters of the Philistines. 16 And Samson's wife wept before him 2° And he came up, and told his father and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest and his mother, and said, I have seen a me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto woman in Timnath of the daughters of the children of my people, and hast not the Philistines: now therefore get her for told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, have not told it my father nor my mome to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother said ther, and shall I tell it thee? unto him, Is there never a woman among 17 And she wept before him the seven the daughters of thy brethren, or among days, while their feast lasted: and it came all my people, that thou goest to take a to pass on the seventh day, that he told wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? her, because she lay sore upon him: and And Samson said unto his father, Get her she told the riddle to the children of her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 4 But his father and his mother knew 18 And the men of the city said unto not that it was of the LORD, that he sought him on the seventh day before the sur an occasion against the Philistines: for at went down, What is sweeter than honey? that time the Philistines had dominion and what is stronger than a lion? And he over Israel. said unto them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath and behold, a young lion roared against him.

6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8 T And after a time he returned to take

people.

19 ¶ And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took. their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend. CHAP. XV.

BUT it came to pass within a while af

her, and he turned aside to see the carcass ter, in the time of wheat-harvest, that of the lion and behold, there was a swarm Samson visited his wife with a kid; and of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. he said, I will go in to my wife into the 9 And he took thereof in his hands, and chamber. But her father would not suffer went on eating, and came to his father and him to go in. mother, and be gave them, and they did 2 And her father said, I verily thought eat: but he told not them that he had taken that thou hadst utterly hated her; therethe honey out of the carcass of the lion. fore I gave her to thy companion: is not 10 So his father went down unto her younger sister fairer than she? take the woman: and Samson made there a her, I pray thee, instead of her. feast; for so used the young men to do. 3 ¶ And Samson said concerning them, 11 And it came to pass, when they saw Now shall I be more blameless than the him, that they brought thirty companions Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. to be with him. 4 And Samson went and caught three

5 And when he had set the brands on

12 T And Samson said unto them, I will hundred foxes, and took fire-brands, and now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can turned tail to tail, and put a fire-brand certainly declare it me within the seven in the midst between two tails. days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty fire, he let them go into the standing corn change of garments: of the Philistines, and burnt up both the 13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shocks, and also the standing corn, with shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty the vineyards and olives. change of garments. And they said unto 6 T Then the Philistines said, Who him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hath done this? And they answered, Samhear it. son, the son-in-law of the Timnite, be

14 And he said unto them, Out of the cause he had taken his wife, and given her eater came forth meat, and out of the to his companion. And the Philistines strong came forth sweetness. And they came up, and burnt her and her father with could not in three days expound the riddle. fire.

15 And it came to pass on the seventh] 7¶ And Samson said unto them, Though

Samson slays the Philistines.

JUDGES.

He is enticed by Delilah.

ye have done this, yet will I be avenged night in the gate of the city, and were quiet of you, and after that I will cease. ail the night, saying, In the morning when

8 And he smote them hip and thigh with it is day we shall kill him. a great slaughter. And he went down 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. arose at midnight, and took the doors of 9 T Then the Philistines went up, and the gate of the city, and the two posis, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves went away with them, bar and all, and put in Lehi. them upon his shoulders, and carried them 10 And the men of Judah said, Why up to the top of a hill that is before are ye come up against us? And they an- Hebron. swered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.

4 ¶ And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said 5 And the lords of the Philistines came to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Phi-up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, listines are rulers over us? what is this and see wherein his great strength lieth, that thou hast done unto us? And he said and by what means we may prevail against unto them, As they did unto ine, so have him, that we may bind him to afflict him: I done unto them. and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may de- 6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, liver thee into the hand of the Philistines. I pray thee, wherein thy great strength And Samson said unto them, Swear unto lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. bound to afflict thee.

13 And they spake unto him, saying, 7 And Samson said unto her, If they No; but we will bind thee fast, and deli- bind me with seven green withs, that were ver thee into their hand: but surely we never dried, then shall I be weak, and be will not kill thee. And they bound him as another man. with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs, which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

14 And when he came unto Lehi, tne Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, 9 (Now there were men lying in wait, and the cords that were upon his arms be-abiding with her in the chamber.) And came as flax that was burnt with fire, and she said unto him, The Philistines be upon his bands loosed from off his hands. thee, Samson. And he brake the withs as 15 And he found a new jaw-bone of an a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and the fire. So his strength was not known. slew a thousand men therewith.

16 And Samson said, With the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

17 And it came to pass when he had! made an end of speaking, that be cast away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi.

10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

18 And he was sore athirst, and call- 12 Dehlah therefore took new ropes, ed on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given and bound him therewith, and said unto this great deliverance into the hand of thy him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samservant and now shall I die for thirst, and son. (And there were liers in wait abiding fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? in the chamber.) And he brake them

19 But God clave a hollow place that from off his arms like a thread. was in the jaw, and there came water there- 13 And Delilab said unto Samson, Hiout; and when he had drunk, his spirit therto thou hast mocked me, and told me came again, and he revived. Wherefore lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be he called the name thereof En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

THE

CHAP. XVI.

bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

HEN went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, 15 And she said unto him, How canst Samson is come hither. And they com- thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is passed him in, and laid wait for him all not with me? Thou hast mocked me these