Samson’s Marriage

1Samson went downe to Thamnath, and sawe a woma in Thamnath of the daughters of the Philistines: 2And he came vp, and told his father and his mother, & said: I haue sene a woman in Thamnath of the daughters of the Philistines: & nowe geue me her to wyfe. 3Then his father and mother sayd vnto him: Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, & among al my people, but that thou must go, and take a wyfe of the vncircumcised Philistines? And Samson sayd vnto his father: Geue me this woman, for she pleaseth me well. 4But his father and mother wist not that it was the Lordes doyng, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines raigned ouer Israel.

5Then went Samson and his father & his mother downe to Thamnath, and came to the vineyardes of Thamnath: and beholde, a young Lion roared vpon him. 6And the spirite of the Lord came vpo him, and he tare him as he would haue rent a kydde, and yet had nothing in his hande: neither tolde his father and mother what he had done. 7And he went downe, & talked with the woman, whiche seemed well fauoured in the sight of Samson.

Samson’s Riddle

8And within a short space after, as he wet thyther againe to take her to wife, he turned out of the way to see the carkasse of the Lion: And beholde, there was a swarme of bees and hony in the carkasse of the Lion. 9And he toke therof in his handes, and went eating, and came to his father and mother, and gaue them also, and they did eate: But he tolde not them that he had taken the hony out of the carkasse of the Lion.

10And so his father went downe vnto the woman, and Samson made there a feast: for so vsed the younge men to do. 11And whe they sawe him, they brought thirtie companions to be with him.

12And Samson sayd vnto them, I will nowe put foorth a riddle vnto you: & yf you can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, I will geue you thirtie sheetes, & thirtie chaunge of garmentes: 13But and if you can not declare it me, then shal ye geue me thirtie sheetes and thirtie chaunge of garmentes. And they aunswered him: Put foorth thy riddle, that we may heare it.

14And he sayd vnto them: Out of the eater came meate, and out of the strong came sweetnesse. And they coulde not in three dayes expounde the riddle.

15And whe the seuenth day was come, they sayd vnto Samsons wyfe: Flatter thyne husband that he may declare vs the riddle, lest we burne thee and thy fathers house with fire: Haue ye called vs hyther, to make vs beggers? is it not so? 16And Samsons wyfe wept before him and sayd, Surely thou hatest me and louest me not: for thou hast put foorth a riddle vnto the children of my folke, and hast not tolde it me. And he sayde vnto her: Beholde, I haue not tolde it my father and my mother, and shall I tell it thee? 17And Samsons wyfe wept before him seuen dayes, whyle the feast lasted: And the seuenth day he told her, because she lay so sore vpo him. And she tolde the riddle to the children of her folke.

18And the men of the citie sayd vnto him the seuenth day, before the sunne went downe: What is sweeter then hony? and what is stronger then a Lion? Then sayd he vnto them: Yf ye had not plowed with my heyffer, ye had not founde out my riddle.

19And the spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and he went downe to Askalon, and slue thirtie men of them, and spoyled them, & gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto them which expounded the riddle: And he was wroth, and went vp to his fathers house. 20But Samsons wyfe was geuen to one of his companions that he had taken vnto him.