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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Judges 14 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/judges/14.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/judges/14-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Judges 14</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../judges/13.htm" title="Judges 13">◄</a> Judges 14 <a href="../judges/15.htm" title="Judges 15">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Samson Gets Married</h3><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_1"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.1" class="v7_14_1">1</span>One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman. </span><span class="v7_14_2"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.2" class="v7_14_2">2</span>When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.2!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_3"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.3" class="v7_14_3">3</span>His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_3">“She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_4"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.4" class="v7_14_4">4</span>At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the <span class="nd">Lord</span> wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_5"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.5" class="v7_14_5">5</span>As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson. </span><span class="v7_14_6"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.6" class="v7_14_6">6</span>But the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_7"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.7" class="v7_14_7">7</span>When they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_8"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.8" class="v7_14_8">8</span>Later,<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.8!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey. </span><span class="v7_14_9"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.9" class="v7_14_9">9</span>He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.9!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_10"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.10" class="v7_14_10">10</span>While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party,<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> as grooms<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.10!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> usually did. </span><span class="v7_14_11"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.11" class="v7_14_11">11</span>When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told 30 of their young men to stay with him at the party.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_12"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.12" class="v7_14_12">12</span>Samson told the 30 young men, “This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the answer before the party is over, I'll give each of you a shirt and a full change of clothing. </span><span class="v7_14_13"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.13" class="v7_14_13">13</span>But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_13">“It's a bet!” the Philistines said. “Tell us the riddle.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_14"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.14" class="v7_14_14">14</span>Samson said:</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v7_14_14">Once so strong and mighty—</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v7_14_14">now so sweet and tasty!</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_14">Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer. </span><span class="v7_14_15"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.15" class="v7_14_15">15</span>Finally, on the seventh<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_16"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.16" class="v7_14_16">16</span>Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_16">“But I haven't even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied. “Why should I tell you?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_17"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.17" class="v7_14_17">17</span>For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_18"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.18" class="v7_14_18">18</span>Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer:</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v7_14_18">A lion is the strongest—</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v7_14_18">honey is the sweetest!</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_18">Samson replied,</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v7_14_18">This answer you have given me</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v7_14_18">doubtless came</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v7_14_18">from my bride-to-be.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_19"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.19" class="v7_14_19">19</span>Then the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon,<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.19!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> where he killed 30 men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the 30 young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v7_14_20"><span class="reftext" id="Judg.14.20" class="v7_14_20">20</span>The father of the bride made Samson's wife marry one of the 30 young men that had been at Samson's party.<a href="#fn" id="link_Judg.14.20!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.2 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Get her for me: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">At that time, parents arranged marriages for their children.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Later: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “The following year.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">But he didn't tell them … skeleton of a lion: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">To eat anything that had touched a skeleton was against God's laws (see Leviticus 11.27-40).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">party: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Hebrew term means a party that involved a lot of drinking.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">grooms: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “warriors.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.15 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Finally, on the seventh: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew; three ancient translations “on the fourth.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Ashkelon: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Another Philistine town.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">14.20 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">one … at Samson's party: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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