Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy[ it] for the old hatred;

主耶和华如此说：“因非利士人向犹大人报仇，就是以恨恶的心报仇雪恨，永怀仇恨，要毁灭他们，

“主耶和华如此说：因非利士人报仇，就是心存轻蔑报仇；他们永怀仇恨，意图毁灭，

“主耶和华如此说：因非利士人报仇，就是心存轻蔑报仇；他们永怀仇恨，意图毁灭，

“主耶和华说，‘非利士人心存仇恨，为了报世仇要毁灭犹大，

主耶和华这样说：“因为非利士人向犹大人报仇雪恨，心存轻蔑报仇雪恨，他们永远怀恨，要毁灭犹大，

主耶和華如此說：「因非利士人向猶大人報仇，就是以恨惡的心報仇雪恨，永懷仇恨，要毀滅他們，

「主耶和華如此說：因非利士人報仇，就是心存輕蔑報仇；他們永懷仇恨，意圖毀滅，

「主耶和華如此說：因非利士人報仇，就是心存輕蔑報仇；他們永懷仇恨，意圖毀滅，

「主耶和華說，『非利士人心存仇恨，為了報世仇要毀滅猶大，

主耶和華這樣說：“因為非利士人向猶大人報仇雪恨，心存輕蔑報仇雪恨，他們永遠懷恨，要毀滅猶大，

『永恆主這麼說：非利士人對猶大人既行了報仇的事，既滿心懷着輕蔑之意而報仇，以永存的仇恨心要毁滅他們，

主耶和華曰、非利士人心存蔑視、而行報復、從其永憾、圖滅我民、

主耶和華曰、非利士人藏匿舊怨、中心叵測、以害我民、

主天主如是云、非利士人攻我民、狂傲復仇、欲翦滅之、乃從其舊恨、

“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says:‘ Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,

The Lord and King says,“ Deep down inside them, the Philistines hated Judah. So the Philistines tried to get even with them. They had been Judah’s enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them.”

“ Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity,

“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long standing contempt.

“‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their perpetual hatred,

‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ Because the Philistines have acted in revenge, and have taken vengeance with malice in their souls to destroy with everlasting hostility,”

‘ Thus says the Lord GOD:“ Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,”

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with despite of soul to destroy with perpetual enmity;

This is what the Lord God says:“ Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their ancient hatred,

“ This is what the sovereign LORD says:‘ The Philistines have exacted merciless revenge, showing intense scorn in their effort to destroy Judah with unrelenting hostility.

“‘ The Lord Yahweh says:“ Because the Philistines have taken revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt of soul to destroy with perpetual hostility;”

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped[ thine] hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit[ shall be] a fiery flying serpent.And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina,[ art] dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none[ shall be] alone in his appointed times.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away[ the punishment] thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver[ them] up to Edom:But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord GOD.

And Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath[ that were] born in[ that] land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth[ between] the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,[ were] there with the ark of the covenant of God.And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What[ meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

Ashkelon shall see[ it], and fear; Gaza also[ shall see it], and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he,[ shall be] for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.

Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand[ is] stretched out still.

Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly[ and] speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken[ it].Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I[ am] strong.Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness[ is] great.Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD[ is] near in the valley of decision.The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD[ will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.So shall ye know that I[ am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.And it shall come to pass in that day,[ that] the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence[ against] the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.For I will cleanse their blood[ that] I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why[ art] thou alone, and no man with thee?And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed[ my] servants to such and such a place.Now therefore what is under thine hand? give[ me] five[ loaves of] bread in mine hand, or what there is present.And the priest answered David, and said,[ There is] no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women[ have been] kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and[ the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.So the priest gave him hallowed[ bread]: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.Now a certain man of the servants of Saul[ was] there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name[ was] Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that[ belonged] to Saul.And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it[ is here] wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take[ it]: for[ there is] no other save that here. And David said,[ There is] none like that; give it me.And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.And the servants of Achish said unto him,[ Is] not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore[ then] have ye brought him to me?Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this[ fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this[ fellow] come into my house?

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong[ horses], at the rushing of his chariots,[ and at] the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to[ their] children for feebleness of hands;Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines,[ and] to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off[ with] the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?O thou sword of the LORD, how long[ will it be] ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,Saul chose him three thousand[ men] of Israel;[ whereof] two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that[ was] in Geba, and the Philistines heard[ of it]. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.And all Israel heard say[ that] Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and[ that] Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which[ is] on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait,( for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.And[ some of] the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he[ was] yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel[ had appointed]: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and[ that] thou camest not within the days appointed, and[ that] the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him[ to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept[ that] which the LORD commanded thee.

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which[ belongeth] to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and[ there was] a valley between them.And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height[ was] six cubits and a span.And[ he had] an helmet of brass upon his head, and he[ was] armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat[ was] five thousand shekels of brass.And[ he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.And the staff of his spear[ was] like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head[ weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set[ your] battle in array?[ am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.Now David[ was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name[ was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men[ for] an old man in the days of Saul.And the three eldest sons of Jesse went[ and] followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle[ were] Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.And David[ was] the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched[ corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of[ their] thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel,[ were] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard[ them].And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be,[ that] the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who[ is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.And David said, What have I now done?[ Is there] not a cause?And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed[ them] before Saul: and he sent for him.And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou[ art but] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered[ it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught[ him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved[ it]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved[ them]. And David put them off him.And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling[ was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield[ went] before him.And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was[ but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.And the Philistine said unto David,[ Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle[ is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang[ it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but[ there was] no sword in the hand of David.Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son[ is] this youth? And Abner said,[ As] thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling[ is].And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.And Saul said to him, Whose son[ art] thou,[ thou] young man? And David answered, I[ am] the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD[ is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.And the sea coast shall be dwellings[ and] cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And[ so] the Moabites became David’s servants,[ and] brought gifts.David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.And David took from him a thousand[ chariots], and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot[ horses], but reserved of them[ for] an hundred chariots.And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David,[ and] brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And[ Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.And David gat[ him] a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt,[ being] eighteen thousand[ men].And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.And Joab the son of Zeruiah[ was] over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud[ was] recorder;And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar,[ were] the priests; and Seraiah[ was] the scribe;And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada[ was over] both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.Then his father and his mother said unto him,[ Is there] never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.But his father and his mother knew not that it[ was] of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and[ he had] nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold,[ there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find[ it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:But if ye cannot declare[ it] me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have?[ is it] not[ so]?And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told[ it] me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told[ it] my father nor my mother, and shall I tell[ it] thee?