Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןwent downוַיֵּרֶדto Timnah,תִּמְנָתָהand sawוַיַּרְאa womanאִשָּׁהin Timnah,בְּתִמְנָתָהof the daughtersמִבְּנוֹתof the Philistines.פְּלִשְׁתִּים
He came upוַיַּעַלand toldוַיַּגֵּדhis fatherלְאָבִיוand his mother,וּלְאִמּוֹand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“A womanאִשָּׁהI have seenרָאִיתִיin Timnah,בְתִמְנָתָהof the daughtersמִבְּנוֹתof the Philistines;פְּלִשְׁתִּיםnowוְעַתָּהtakeקְחוּherאוֹתָהּfor meלִּיas a wife.”לְאִשָּׁה
But his fatherאָבִיוand his motherוְאִמּוֹsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto him,לוֹ“Is there noהַאֵיןwomanאִשָּׁהamong the daughtersבִּבְנוֹתof your brothers,אַחֶיךָorוּamong allבְכָלmy people,עַמִּיthatכִּיyouאַתָּהgoהוֹלֵךְto takeלָקַחַתa wifeאִשָּׁהfrom the Philistines,מִפְּלִשְׁתִּיםthe uncircumcised?”הָעֲרֵלִיםAnd Samsonוַ שִׁמְשׁוֹןsaidיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלhis father,אָבִיו“Takeקַחherאוֹתָהּfor me,לִיforכִּיsheהִיאis rightיָשְׁרָהin my eyes.”בְעֵינָי
His fatherוְאָבִיוand his motherוְאִמּוֹdid notלֹאknowיָדְעוּthatכִּיitהִיאwasfrom YHWH,מֵיְהוָהforכִּיheהוּאwas seekingמְבַקֵּשׁan occasionתֹאֲנָהagainst the Philistines.מִפְּלִשְׁתִּיםAt thatוּבָ הַהִיאtimeעֵתthe Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיםwere rulingמֹשְׁלִיםover Israel.בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןwent down,וַיֵּרֶדand his fatherוְאָבִיוand his mother,וְאִמּוֹto Timnah,תִּמְנָתָהand they cameוַיָּבֹאוּas far asעַדthe vineyardsכַּרְמֵיof Timnah;תִמְנָתָהand look,וְהִנֵּהa young lionכְּפִיר אֲרָיוֹתcame roaringשֹׁאֵגto meet him.לִקְרָאתוֹ
And the spiritוַ רוּחַof YHWHיְהוָהcame powerfullyתִּצְלַחupon him,עָלָיוand he tore it apartוַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּas one tears apartכְּשַׁסַּעa young goat,הַגְּדִיandוּhe had nothingמְאוּמָה אֵיןin his hand;בְּיָדוֹbutוְhe did notלֹאtellהִגִּידhis fatherלְאָבִיוor his motherוּלְאִמּוֹwhatאֵת אֲשֶׁרhe had done.עָשָׂה
Then he went downוַיֵּרֶדand spokeוַיְדַבֵּרto the woman,לָאִשָּׁהand she was rightוַתִּישַׁרin the eyesבְּעֵינֵיof Samson.שִׁמְשׁוֹן
After some daysמִיָּמִיםhe returnedוַיָּשָׁבto take her,לְקַחְתָּהּand he turned asideוַיָּסַרto seeלִרְאוֹתthe carcassאֵת מַפֶּלֶתof the lion;הָאַרְיֵהand look,וְהִנֵּהa swarmעֲדַתof beesדְּבוֹרִיםwasin the bodyבִּגְוִיַּתof the lion,הָאַרְיֵהand honey.וּדְבָשׁ
He scraped it outוַיִּרְדֵּהוּintoאֶלhis palmsכַּפָּיוand went on,וַיֵּלֶךְwalkingהָלוֹךְand eating;וְאָכֹלand he wentוַיֵּלֶךְtoאֶלhis fatherאָבִיוand toוְאֶלhis motherאִמּוֹand gaveוַיִּתֵּןto them,לָהֶםand they ate;וַיֹּאכֵלוּbutוְhe did notלֹאtellהִגִּידthemלָהֶםthatכִּיfrom the bodyמִגְּוִיַּתof the lionהָאַרְיֵהhe had scraped outרָדָהthe honey.הַדְּבָשׁ
His fatherוַ אָבִיהוּwent downיֵּרֶדtoאֶלthe woman,הָאִשָּׁהand Samsonוַ שִׁמְשׁוֹןmadeיַּעַשׂa feastמִשְׁתֶּהthere,שָׁםforכִּיsoכֵּןthe young menהַבַּחוּרִיםused to do.יַעֲשׂוּ
And it happened,וַיְהִיwhen they sawכִּרְאוֹתָםhim,אוֹתוֹthat they tookוַיִּקְחוּthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםcompanions,מֵרֵעִיםand they wereוַיִּהְיוּwith him.אִתּוֹ
And Samsonוַ שִׁמְשׁוֹןsaidיֹּאמֶרto them,לָהֶם“Let me proposeאָחוּדָהto you,לָכֶםplease,נָּאa riddle.חִידָהIfאִםyou do explainהַגֵּד תַּגִּידוּitאוֹתָהּto meלִיwithin the sevenשִׁבְעַתdaysיְמֵיof the feastהַמִּשְׁתֶּהand find it out,וּמְצָאתֶםthen I will giveוְנָתַתִּיyouלָכֶםthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםlinen garmentsסְדִינִיםand thirtyוּשְׁלֹשִׁיםchangesחֲלִפֹתof clothes.בְּגָדִים
But ifוְאִםyou cannotלֹא תוּכְלוּexplain itלְהַגִּידto me,לִיthen youוּ אַתֶּםshall giveנְתַתֶּםmeלִיthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםlinen garmentsסְדִינִיםand thirtyוּשְׁלֹשִׁיםchangesחֲלִיפוֹתof clothes.”בְּגָדִיםAnd they saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto him,לוֹ“Proposeחוּדָהyour riddle,חִידָתְךָand let us hear it.”וְנִשְׁמָעֶנָּה
And he saidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,לָהֶם“Out of the eaterמֵהָאֹכֵלcameיָצָאsomething to eat,מַאֲכָלand out of the strongוּמֵעַזcameיָצָאsomething sweet.”מָתוֹקAnd they could notוְלֹא יָכְלוּexplainלְהַגִּידthe riddleהַחִידָהfor threeשְׁלֹשֶׁתdays.יָמִים
And it happenedוַיְהִיon the seventhבַּ הַשְּׁבִיעִיdayיּוֹםthat they saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto the wifeלְאֵשֶׁתof Samson,שִׁמְשׁוֹן“Seduceפַּתִּיyour husbandאֶת אִישֵׁךְso that he explainsוְיַגֶּדto usלָנוּthe riddle,אֶת הַחִידָהorפֶּןwe will burnנִשְׂרֹףyouאוֹתָךְand your father’sוְאֶת אָבִיךְhouseבֵּיתwith fire.בָּאֵשׁHave you invitedקְרָאתֶםusלָנוּto dispossess us?הַלְיָרְשֵׁנוּIs it not so?”הֲלֹא
So the wifeוַ אֵשֶׁתof Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןweptתֵּבְךְּover himעָלָיוand said,וַתֹּאמֶר“You onlyרַקhate me;שְׂנֵאתַנִיyou do notוְלֹאlove me.אֲהַבְתָּנִיThe riddleהַחִידָהyou have proposedחַדְתָּto the sonsלִבְנֵיof my people,עַמִּיbutוְto meלִיyou have notלֹאexplained it.”הִגַּדְתָּהAnd he saidוַיֹּאמֶרto her,לָהּ“Look,הִנֵּהto my fatherלְאָבִיand to my motherוּלְאִמִּיI have notלֹאexplained it,הִגַּדְתִּיandוְto youלָךְshould I explain it?”אַגִּיד
She weptוַתֵּבְךְּover himעָלָיוthe sevenשִׁבְעַת הַdaysיָּמִיםthatאֲשֶׁרthey hadהָיָה לָהֶםthe feast;הַמִּשְׁתֶּהand it happenedוַיְהִיon the seventhבַּ הַשְּׁבִיעִיdayיּוֹםthat he explained itוַיַּגֶּדto her,לָהּbecauseכִּיshe pressed him hard;הֱצִיקַתְהוּand she explainedוַתַּגֵּדthe riddleהַחִידָהto the sonsלִבְנֵיof her people.עַמָּהּ
And the menוַ אַנְשֵׁיof the cityהָעִירsaidיֹּאמְרוּto himלוֹon the seventhבַּ הַשְּׁבִיעִיdayיּוֹםbeforeבְּטֶרֶםthe sunהַחַרְסָהwent down,יָבֹא“Whatמַהissweeterמָּתוֹקthan honey,מִדְּבַשׁandוּwhatמֶהisstrongerעַזthan a lion?”מֵאֲרִיAnd he saidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,לָהֶם“If you had notלוּלֵאplowedחֲרַשְׁתֶּםwith my heifer,בְּעֶגְלָתִיyou would notלֹאhave found outמְצָאתֶםmy riddle.”חִידָתִי
Then the spiritוַ רוּחַof YHWHיְהוָהcame powerfullyתִּצְלַחupon him,עָלָיוand he went downוַיֵּרֶדto Ashkelonאַשְׁקְלוֹןand struckוַיַּךְthirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםmenאִישׁof them,מֵהֶםtookוַיִּקַּחwhat they had on,אֶת חֲלִיצוֹתָםand gaveוַיִּתֵּןthe changes of clothesהַחֲלִיפוֹתto those who had explainedלְמַגִּידֵיthe riddle.הַחִידָהAnd his angerוַ אַפּוֹburned,יִּחַרand he went upוַיַּעַלto his father’sאָבִיהוּhouse.בֵּית
And the wifeוַ אֵשֶׁתof Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןbecameתְּהִיthe wife of his companion,לְמֵרֵעֵהוּwhoאֲשֶׁרhad been a companionרֵעָהto him.לוֹ