Judges - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 267
The History of the People of Israel
‘Is there not a girl related to you? or a woman in all your nation? that you should go and take a wife from the foul Philistines} Samson, however, exclaimed to his
Get her for me I for she is perfect in my eyes l ’ For his father and mother did not
know that it was given to him from the Even-mvmc; to seek a wife from the Philistines, although at that period the Philistines governed in Israel. Consequently Samson and his
father and mother descended to '1`himnath. (Once formerly, when he had gone to the vineyards of '1`himnath, a young lion had roared at his approach, and the Spirit of the Evnn—1.1v1No had fallen upon him, and he had torn it in two like tearing a kid,—-but had not told his father or his mother what he had done.) So they went down and spoke to the woman, who was perfect in the eyes of Samson, and stayed some time for the marriage.-—But he went aside one day to look at the carcase of the lion, and observed a swarm of bees in the skeleton, and honey, so he took some into his hand, and walked along, and ate as he walked with his father and mother. Then, he gave them some, and they ate, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the skeleton of a lion. Smnsurfs Ianni mth Ribble. Afterwards when his father came
down to see his wife, Samson made a feast, as young men are accustomed. He had visitors also with him, and he chose thirty friends who were to stay with him, and Samson said to Let us agree together to ask riddles. If you can guess mine in the seven days of the feast, and relate it, I will give you thirty shirts and thirty suits of clothes! But if you are not able to guess it for me, then you shall give me thirty shirts and thirty suits of clothing! Tell your riddle, and we will listen l ’ So he said to them; ‘ There came meat from the Eater;
and from the Strong came sweet» And they were not able to guess the riddle by the third day. But, when the seventh day came, they said Open your hus- band, and explain the riddle for us, or we will burn you, and destroy your father’s house with fire! unless you tell it to us! ' Samson’s wife consequently wept
You hate me now, and do not love me;-you have not explained that riddle to me and my relatives l ’ I have not
explained it to my father and mother, so why should I explain it to you ? ’ She consequently wept over him
the seven days that the feast lasted, and when the seventh day came he explained it to her,~—-for she wore him out,-——and she explained it to her relatives. So the men of the village said to him at the end of the seventh day at sunset What is sweeter than honey P And what stronger than a lion? If you
had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle! Then the spirit of enthusiasm came upon him, and he went down to Ash- kalon, and killed there thirty men, and took their clothing, and gave the suits to the guessers of his riddle,- but he was furious, and went oh to the house of his father. The wife of Samson, however, was
left with the companions who had accompanied him. i6 18 20 Sumsmt rnmrs in fetch his Wife. §er 3’ail3er refuses him. Afterwards when the time of wheat 15 harvest came Samson visited his wife I wish But her father would not allow him to enter. Her father also remarked, 2 ‘ I said to myself, he hates her. So I have given her to your friend. Is not her younger sister handsomer than she? I will give her to you instead of her! ' (Bx:. 1140.) Samsuxfs ilehenge. @2 Rrea ilye j§l3ilistines' ®¤ru5elbs. Samson, however, replied to him, 3 ‘ I will be revenged this time on the Philistines for doing me wrong! and went and caught three hun- 4 dred foxes, and took torches and 267
