Judges 14 (NET)

Judges 14:1¹Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 John 2:16Josh 15:10Josh 19:43Ps 119:372 Sam 11:2Gen 34:1-2Gen 38:12-13Gen 6:2Job 31:1

Judges 14:2²When he got home, he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Gen 34:4Gen 24:2-3Gen 21:212 Kgs 14:9Gen 38:6

Judges 14:3³But 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.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Sam 17:36Deut 7:2-3Judg 15:181 Sam 14:61 Sam 17:261 Sam 31:42 Sam 1:20Exod 34:12-16Gen 13:8Gen 21:3-4

Judges 14:4⁴Now 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).Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Josh 11:20Ps 115:3Judg 13:11 Kgs 12:152 Chr 10:152 Chr 22:72 Kgs 6:332 Chr 25:20Deut 28:48Judg 15:11

Judges 14:5⁵Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AI

Judges 14:6⁶The 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.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 3:10Zech 4:6Judg 13:251 John 3:81 Sam 11:61 Sam 17:34-371 Sam 17:46Isa 42:2Judg 15:15Judg 15:8

Judges 14:7⁷Samson continued on down to Timnah and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AI

Judges 14:8⁸Some 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.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Gen 29:21Matt 1:20

Judges 14:9⁹He 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.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Sam 14:25-30Prov 25:15

Judges 14:10¹⁰Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Eccl 10:19Esth 1:7-22Gen 29:22John 2:9Matt 22:2-4Rev 19:9

Judges 14:11¹¹When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:John 3:291 Sam 10:231 Sam 16:6Matt 9:15

Judges 14:12¹²Samson 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.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Kgs 10:1Ezek 17:2Gen 45:222 Kgs 5:222 Kgs 5:5Prov 1:61 Cor 13:12Ezek 20:49Jas 5:2John 16:29

Judges 14:13¹³But 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.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AI

Judges 14:14¹⁴He 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.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Kgs 17:6Jas 1:2-41 Pet 2:24Rom 8:372 Cor 12:9-10Matt 13:112 Chr 20:22 Chr 20:252 Cor 4:17Acts 8:31

Judges 14:15¹⁵On 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?”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 15:6Judg 16:5Mic 7:5Gen 3:1-6Judg 12:1Prov 1:11Prov 5:3Prov 6:26

Judges 14:16¹⁶So 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?”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 16:15Gen 2:24

Judges 14:17¹⁷She cried on his shoulder until the party was almost over. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 16:16Luke 18:4-5Gen 3:6Job 2:9Judg 16:13Judg 16:6Luke 11:8Prov 2:16-17Prov 7:21

Judges 14:18¹⁸On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AI

Judges 14:19¹⁹The Lord ’s Spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Sam 11:6Judg 3:10Judg 13:25Judg 14:6Judg 15:14

Judges 14:20²⁰Samson’s bride was then given to his best man.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 15:2John 3:29John 13:18Jer 9:5Judg 15:6Matt 26:49-50Mic 7:5Ps 55:12-13