Judges 13:1–15

The Messenger of the Lord Appears to Samson’s Parents

¹The people of Israel again did what the Lord considered evil. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years. 

²There was a man from Zorah named Manoah. Manoah was from the family of Dan. His wife was not able to have children. ³The Messenger of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You’ve never been able to have a child, but now you will become pregnant and have a son. ⁴Now you must be careful. Don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean^afood. ⁵You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. You must never cut his hair because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.” 

⁶The woman went to tell her husband. She said, “A man of God came to me. He had a very frightening appearance like the Messenger of God. So I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. ⁷He told me, ‘You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. So don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the time he is born until he dies.’ ” 

⁸Then Manoah pleaded with the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent come back to us. Let him teach us what we must do for the boy who will be born.” 

⁹God did what Manoah asked. The Messenger of God came back to his wife while she was sitting out in the fields. But her husband Manoah was not with her. ¹⁰The woman ran quickly to tell her husband. She said, “The man who came to me the other day has just appeared to me ⸤again⸥.” 

¹¹Manoah immediately followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” 

“Yes,” he answered. 

¹²Then Manoah asked, “When your words come true, how should the boy live and what should he do?” 

¹³The Messenger of the Lord answered Manoah, “Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her to do. ¹⁴She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevines, drink any wine or liquor, or eat any unclean food. She must be careful to do everything I commanded.” 

¹⁵Manoah said to the Messenger of the Lord, “Please stay while we prepare a young goat for you to eat.”