14One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye.H8123H3381H8553H7200H802H8553H1323H64302When he returned home, he told his father and mother, "A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me."H5927H5046H1H517H559H7200H802H8553H1323H6430H3947H8023His father and mother objected. "Isn't there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?" they asked. "Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me! She looks good to me."H1H517H559H369H802H1323H251H5971H1980H3947H802H6189H6430H8123H559H1H3947H3474H58694His father and mother didn't realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.H1H517H3045H3068H1245H8385H6430H6256H6430H4910H34785As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah.H3381H8123H3381H1H517H8553H935H3754H8553H3715H738H7580H71256At that moment the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn't tell his father or mother about it.H7307H3068H6743H8156H8156H1423H3972H3027H5046H1H517H62137When Samson arrived in Timnah, he talked with the woman and was very pleased with her.H3381H1696H802H3474H8123H3474H58698Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.H3117H7725H3947H5493H7200H4658H738H5712H1682H1706H1472H7389He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn't tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.H7287H3709H3212H398H1980H1H517H5414H398H5046H7287H1706H1472H73810As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men.H1H3381H802H8123H6213H4960H970H621311When the bride's parents saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions.H7200H3947H7970H482812Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.H8123H559H2330H2420H5046H5046H7651H3117H4960H4672H5414H7970H5466H7970H2487H89913But if you can't solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing." "All right," they agreed, "let's hear your riddle."H3201H5046H5414H7970H5466H7970H2487H899H559H2330H2420H808514So he said: "Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet." Three days later they were still trying to figure it out.H559H398H3318H3978H5794H3318H4966H3201H7969H3117H5046H242015On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?"H7637H3117H559H8123H802H6601H376H5046H2420H8313H1H1004H784H7121H342316So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said, "You don't love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even given the answer to my father or mother," he replied. "Why should I tell you?"H8123H802H1058H559H8130H157H2330H2420H1121H5971H5046H559H5046H1H517H504617So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men.H1058H7651H3117H4960H1961H7637H3117H5046H6693H5046H2420H1121H597118So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson replied, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle!"H582H5892H559H7637H3117H2775H935H4966H1706H5794H738H559H3884H2790H5697H4672H242019Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother.H7307H3068H6743H3381H831H5221H7970H376H3947H2488H5414H2487H5046H2420H639H2734H5927H1H100420So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding.H8123H802H4828H7462
Des Moines, IA
saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions.H7200
