Judges 14:12–19

¹²And Samson said unto them, I will now ⁱput forth a riddle unto you: if you can certainly declare it me within ^kthe seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty ^lchange of garments: ¹³but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty ^lchange of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, ^mEntice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, ⁿlest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? ¹⁶And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, ^oThou 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? ¹⁷And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because ^pshe lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people. ¹⁸And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

What is sweeter than honey?

And what is stronger than a lion?

And he said unto them,

If ye had not plowed with my heifer,

Ye had not found out my riddle.

¹⁹And ^qthe spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to ^rAshkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave ^lchange of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.