Judges 14:12–19

¹²And Samson saith to them, ‘Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me in the seven days of the banquet, and have found it out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments; ¹³and if ye are not able to declare it to me, then ye have given to me thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments.’ And they say to him, ‘Put forth thy riddle, and we hear it!’ ¹⁴And he saith to them: ‘Out of the eater came forth meat, And out of the strong came forth sweetness;’ and they were not able to declare the riddle in three days. ¹⁵And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson’s wife, ‘Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?’ ¹⁶And Samson’s wife weepeth for it, and saith, ‘Thou hast only hated me, and hast not loved me; the riddle thou hast put forth to the sons of my people—and to me thou hast not declared it;’ and he saith to her, ‘Lo, to my father and to my mother I have not declared it—and to thee I declare it!’ ¹⁷And she weepeth for it the seven days in which their banquet hath been, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day that he declareth it to her, for she hath distressed him; and she declareth the riddle to the sons of her people. ¹⁸And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goeth in:—‘What is sweeter than honey? And what stronger than a lion?’ And he saith to them: ‘Unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.’ ¹⁹And the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and he goeth down to Ashkelon, and smiteth of them thirty men, and taketh their armour, and giveth the changes to those declaring the riddle; and his anger burneth, and he goeth up to the house of his father;