5Then went Samson down, with his father and mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid, and he had nothing in his hand, but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. 9And he took of the honey in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them some, and they did eat; but he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

10So his father went down unto the woman. And Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12And Samson said to them, “I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can certainly declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; 13But if you cannot declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment”. And they said to him, “Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it”. 14And he said to them, “Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness”. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. 15And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire: have you called us to impoverish us? is it not so?” 16And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, “You do but hate me, and love me not. You have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and have not told it to me”. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told it to my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it to you?” 17And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it came to pass, on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him greatly; and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you had not found out my riddle”.

19And 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 changes of raiment to them who expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. 20But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.