“ 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.

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,

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;

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

For this is what the sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with intense scorn over the land of Israel,

Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines, just because the club that beat you has been broken! For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root, and its fruit will be a darting adder.The poor will graze in my pastures; the needy will rest securely. But I will kill your root by famine; it will put to death all your survivors.Wail, O city gate! Cry out, O city! Melt with fear, all you Philistines! For out of the north comes a cloud of smoke, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

“ This is what the sovereign LORD says:‘ Edom has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable by taking vengeance on them.

The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the lowlands and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages.

the foreigners living in Egypt; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines, the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod;

This is what the LORD says:“ Because Gaza has committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They deported a whole community and sold them to Edom.So I will set Gaza’s city wall on fire; fire will consume her fortresses.I will remove the ruler from Ashdod, the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. I will strike Ekron with my hand; the rest of the Philistines will also die.” The sovereign LORD has spoken!

his son Zabad, his son Shuthelah( Ezer and Elead were killed by the men of Gath, who were natives of the land, when they went down to steal their cattle.

Samuel revealed the word of the LORD to all Israel. Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.The Philistines arranged their forces to fight Israel. As the battle spread out, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field.When the army came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said,“ Why did the LORD let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let’s take with us the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us from the hand of our enemies.So the army sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.When the ark of the covenant of the LORD arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the ground shook.When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said,“ What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the LORD had arrived at the camp.

Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines.I will take away their abominable religious practices; then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.Then I will surround my temple to protect it like a guard from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.

Syria from the east, and the Philistines from the west, they gobbled up Israelite territory. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.

Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon? Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia? I will very quickly repay you for what you have done!For you took my silver and my gold and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces.You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks, removing them far from their own country.Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them. I will repay you for what you have done!I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah. They will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away. Indeed, the LORD has spoken!Proclaim this among the nations:“ Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack!Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears! Let the weak say,‘ I too am a warrior!’Lend your aid and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves to that place.” Bring down, O LORD, your warriors!Let the nations be roused and let them go up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.Rush forth with the sickle, for the harvest is ripe! Come, stomp the grapes, for the winepress is full! The vats overflow. Indeed, their evil is great!Crowds, great crowds are in the valley of decision, for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision!The sun and moon are darkened; the stars withhold their brightness.The LORD roars from Zion; from Jerusalem his voice bellows out. The heavens and the earth shake. But the LORD is a refuge for his people; he is a stronghold for the citizens of Israel.You will be convinced that I the LORD am your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy– conquering armies will no longer pass through it.On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the dry stream beds of Judah will flow with water. A spring will flow out from the temple of the LORD, watering the Valley of Acacia Trees.Egypt will be desolate and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, because of the violence they did to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.But Judah will reside securely forever, and Jerusalem will be secure from one generation to the next.I will avenge their blood which I had not previously acquitted. It is the LORD who dwells in Zion!

( 21: 2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met David, and said to him,“ Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?”David replied to Ahimelech the priest,“ The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me,‘ Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ I have told my soldiers to wait at a certain place.Now what do you have at your disposal? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”The priest replied to David,“ I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers have abstained from sexual relations with women.”David said to the priest,“ Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out. The soldiers’ equipment is holy, even on an ordinary journey. How much more so will they be holy today, along with their equipment!”So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the LORD in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away.( One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.)David said to Ahimelech,“ Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions.”The priest replied,“ The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there’s nothing here.” David said,“ There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!”So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath.The servants of Achish said to him,“ Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying,‘ Saul struck down his thousands, But David his tens of thousands’?”David thought about what they said and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath.He altered his behavior in their presence. Since he was in their power, he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.Achish said to his servants,“ Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me?Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”

The LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.“ Look! Enemies are gathering in the north like water rising in a river. They will be like an overflowing stream. They will overwhelm the whole country and everything in it like a flood. They will overwhelm the cities and their inhabitants. People will cry out in alarm. Everyone living in the country will cry out in pain.Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses, the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels. They will not turn back to save their children because they will be paralyzed with fear.For the time has come to destroy all the Philistines. The time has come to destroy all the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon. For I, the LORD, will destroy the Philistines, that remnant that came from the island of Crete.The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning. The people of Ashkelon will be struck dumb. How long will you gash yourselves to show your sorrow, you who remain of Philistia’s power?How long will you cry out,‘ Oh, sword of the LORD, how long will it be before you stop killing? Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!’But how can it rest when I, the LORD, have given it orders? I have ordered it to attack the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast.

Saul was[ thirty] years old when he began to reign; he ruled over Israel for[ forty] years.Saul selected for himself three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of these were with Saul at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel; the remaining thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin. He sent all the rest of the people back home.Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost that was at Geba and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul alerted all the land saying,“ Let the Hebrews pay attention!”All Israel heard this message,“ Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel is repulsive to the Philistines!” So the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, and cisterns.Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan River to the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul stayed at Gilgal; the entire army that was with him was terrified.He waited for seven days, the time period indicated by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the army began to abandon Saul.So Saul said,“ Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” Then he offered a burnt offering.Just when he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel appeared on the scene. Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.But Samuel said,“ What have you done?” Saul replied,“ When I saw that the army had started to abandon me and that you didn’t come at the appointed time and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash,I thought,‘ Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering.”Then Samuel said to Saul,“ You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed the commandment that the LORD your God gave you. Had you done that, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever!But now your kingdom will not continue! The LORD has sought out for himself a man who is loyal to him and the LORD has appointed him to be leader over his people, for you have not obeyed what the LORD commanded you.”

The Philistines gathered their troops for battle. They assembled at Socoh in Judah. They camped in Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.Saul and the Israelite army assembled and camped in the valley of Elah, where they arranged their battle lines to fight against the Philistines.The Philistines were standing on one hill, and the Israelites on another hill, with the valley between them.Then a champion came out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath; he was from Gath. He was close to seven feet tall.He had a bronze helmet on his head and was wearing scale body armor. The weight of his bronze body armor was five thousand shekels.He had bronze shin guards on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung over his shoulders.The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the iron point of his spear weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer was walking before him.Goliath stood and called to Israel’s troops,“ Why do you come out to prepare for battle? Am I not the Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose for yourselves a man so he may come down to me!If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.”Then the Philistine said,“ I defy Israel’s troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!”When Saul and all the Israelites heard these words of the Philistine, they were upset and very afraid.Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years.Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who went to war were Eliab, his firstborn, Abinadab, the second oldest, and Shammah, the third oldest.Now David was the youngest. While the three oldest sons followed Saul,David was going back and forth from Saul in order to care for his father’s sheep in Bethlehem.Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position.Jesse said to his son David,“ Take your brothers this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread; go quickly to the camp to your brothers.Also take these ten portions of cheese to their commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are doing and bring back their pledge that they received the goods.They are with Saul and the whole Israelite army in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry.Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines opposite one another.After David had entrusted his cargo to the care of the supply officer, he ran to the battlefront. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, and David heard it.When all the men of Israel saw this man, they retreated from his presence and were very afraid.The men of Israel said,“ Have you seen this man who is coming up? He does so to defy Israel. But the king will make the man who can strike him down very wealthy! He will give him his daughter in marriage, and he will make his father’s house exempt from tax obligations in Israel.”David asked the men who were standing near him,“ What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?”The soldiers told him what had been promised, saying,“ This is what will be done for the man who can strike him down.”When David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry with David and said,“ Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! You have come down here to watch the battle!”David replied,“ What have I done now? Can’t I say anything?”Then he turned from those who were nearby to someone else and asked the same question, but they gave him the same answer as before.When David’s words were overheard and reported to Saul, he called for him.David said to Saul,“ Don’t let anyone be discouraged. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”But Saul replied to David,“ You aren’t able to go against this Philistine and fight him! You’re just a boy! He has been a warrior from his youth!”David replied to Saul,“ Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock,I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it.Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. For he has defied the armies of the living God!”David went on to say,“ The LORD who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David,“ Go! The LORD will be with you.”Then Saul clothed David with his own fighting attire and put a bronze helmet on his head. He also put body armor on him.David strapped on his sword over his fighting attire and tried to walk around, but he was not used to them. David said to Saul,“ I can’t walk in these things, for I’m not used to them.” So David removed them.He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.The Philistine kept coming closer to David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him.When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy.The Philistine said to David,“ Am I a dog, that you are coming after me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods.The Philistine said to David,“ Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the field!”But David replied to the Philistine,“ You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel’s armies, whom you have defied!This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand! I will strike you down and cut off your head. This day I will give the corpses of the Philistine army to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land. Then all the land will realize that Israel has a Godand all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves! For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will deliver you into our hand.”The Philistine drew steadily closer to David to attack him, while David quickly ran toward the battle line to attack the Philistine.David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.David ran and stood over the Philistine. He grabbed Goliath’s sword, drew it from its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they ran away.Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry. They chased the Philistines to the valley and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.When the Israelites returned from their hot pursuit of the Philistines, they looted their camp.David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put Goliath’s weapons in his tent.Now as Saul watched David going out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the general in command of the army,“ Whose son is this young man, Abner?” Abner replied,“ As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.”The king said,“ Find out whose son this boy is!”So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand.Saul said to him,“ Whose son are you, young man?” David replied,“ I am the son of your servant Jesse in Bethlehem.”

Indeed, Gaza will be deserted and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins. Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon, and Ekron will be overthrown.Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete, are as good as dead. The LORD has decreed your downfall, Canaan, land of the Philistines:“ I will destroy everyone who lives there!”The seacoast will be used as pasture lands by the shepherds and as pens for their flocks.Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah will take possession of it. By the sea they will graze, in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening, for the LORD their God will intervene for them and restore their prosperity.

Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah from the Philistines.He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish his authority over the Euphrates River.David seized from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses.The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans.David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The LORD protected David wherever he campaigned.David took the golden shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem.From Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities, King David took a great deal of bronze.When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,he sent his son Joram to King David to extend his best wishes and to pronounce a blessing on him for his victory over Hadadezer, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. He brought with him various items made of silver, gold, and bronze.King David dedicated these things to the LORD, along with the dedicated silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations that he had subdued,including Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amelek. This also included some of the plunder taken from King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah.David became famous when he returned from defeating the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, he defeated 18,000 in all.He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The LORD protected David wherever he campaigned.David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his people.Joab son of Zeruiah was general in command of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary;Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was scribe;Benaiah son of Jehoida supervised the Kerithites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.

Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.When he got home, he told his father and mother,“ A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife.”But his father and mother said to him,“ Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” But Samson said to his father,“ Get her for me, because she is the right one for me.”Now his father and mother did not realize this was the LORD’s doing, because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines( for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him.The LORD’s spirit empowered him and he tore the lion in two with his bare hands as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.Samson continued on down to Timnah and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one.Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey.He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass.Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company.Samson said to them,“ I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.But if you cannot solve it, you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him,“ Let us hear your riddle.”He said to them,“ Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong one came something sweet.” They could not solve the riddle for three days.On the fourth day they said to Samson’s bride,“ Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. If you refuse, we will burn up you and your father’s family. Did you invite us here to make us poor?”So Samson’s bride cried on his shoulder and said,“ You must hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.” He said to her,“ Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?”