1 A nd the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years.

2 A nd there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children.

3 A nd the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you are barren and have no children, but you shall become pregnant and bear a son.

Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.

4 T herefore beware and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean.

Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.

5 F or behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.

For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

6 T hen the woman went and told her husband, saying, A Man of God came to me and his face was like the face of the Angel of God, to be greatly and reverently feared. I did not ask him from where he came, and he did not tell me his name.

Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “ A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name.

7 B ut he said to me, Behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son, and now drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.

But he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and now you shall not drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

8 T hen Manoah entreated the Lord and said, O Lord, let the Man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do with the child that shall be born.

Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again that he may teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born.”

9 A nd God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.

God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 A nd the woman ran in haste and told her husband and said to him, Behold, the Man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.

So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came the other day has appeared to me.”

11 A nd Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the Man and said to him, Are you the Man who spoke to this woman? And he said, I am.

Then Manoah arose and followed his wife, and when he came to the man he said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” And he said, “I am.”

12 A nd Manoah said, Now when your words come true, how shall we manage the child, and what is he to do?

Manoah said, “Now when your words come to pass, what shall be the boy’s mode of life and his vocation?”

13 A nd the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Let the mother beware of all that I told her.

So the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “ Let the woman pay attention to all that I said.

14 S he may not eat of anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.

She should not eat anything that comes from the vine nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; let her observe all that I commanded.”

15 A nd Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, Pray, let us detain you that we may prepare a kid for you.

Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.”

16 A nd the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your food, but if you make ready a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord.

The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.

17 A nd Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, What is your name, so that when your words come true, we may do you honor?

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “ What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?”

18 A nd the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?

But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

19 S o Manoah took the kid with the cereal offering and offered it upon a rock to the Lord, the Angel working wonders, while Manoah and his wife looked on.

So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on.

20 F or when the flame went up toward the heavens from the altar, the Angel of the Lord ascended in the altar flame. And Manoah and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 T he Angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the Lord.

Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.

22 A nd Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

So Manoah said to his wife, “ We will surely die, for we have seen God.”

23 B ut his wife said to him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a cereal offering from our hands, nor have shown us all these things or now have announced such things as these.

But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time.”

24 A nd the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew and the Lord blessed him.

Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.

25 A nd the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in Mahaneh-dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.