1 S amson went down to Timnah and at Timnah saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.

وَنَزَلَ شَمْشُونُ إلَى بَلدَةِ تِمْنَةَ، وَرَأى امْرأةً فِلِسْطِيَّةً هُناكَ.

2 A nd he came up and told his father and mother, I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.

ثُمَّ صَعِدَ وَأخبَرَ أباهُ وَأُمَّهُ، قالَ لَهُما: «رَأيتُ امْرأةً فِلِسْطِيَّةً فِي تِمْنَةَ، فَالآنَ خُذاها لِي زَوجَةً.»

3 B ut his father and mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she is all right in my eyes.

فَقالَ لَهُ أبُوهُ وَأُمُّهُ: «ألا تُوجَدُ امْرأةٌ بَينَ بَناتِ أقرِبائِكَ، أوْ فِي كُلِّ شَعبِكَ، حَتَّى إنَّكَ مَضْطَرٌّ إلَى الزَّواجِ مِنَ امْرأةٍ مِنَ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ اللّامَختُونِينَ؟» لَكِنَّ شَمْشُونَ قالَ لِأبِيهِ: «خُذْها لِي، لِأنَّها أعجَبَتْنِي.»

4 H is father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, and that He sought an occasion for assailing the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَعرِفُ أبُوهُ وَأُمُّهُ أنَّ هَذا الأمرَ كانَ مِنَ اللهِ ، إذ كانَ يَنْتَظِرُ الوَقْتَ المُناسِبَ لِلعَمَلِ ضِدَّ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. فَفِي ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ، كانَ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ يَحكُمُونَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ.

5 T hen Samson and his father and mother went down to Timnah and came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against him.

فَنَزَلَ شَمْشُونُ مَعَ أبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ إلَى تِمْنَةَ. وَبَيْنَما كانَ يَسِيرُ فِي أحَدِ كُرُومِ تِمْنَةَ، ظَهَرَ فَجأةً أسَدٌ يَزأرُ لِمُلاقاتِهِ.

6 A nd the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

فَحَلَّ عَلَيهِ رُوحُ اللهِ بِقُوَّةٍ، فَشَقَّهُ كَما يَشُقُّ جِدْياً! وَكانَ شَمْشُونُ أعزَلَ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُخبِرْ أباهُ وَأُمَّهُ بِما فَعَلَ.

7 A nd he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

ثُمَّ نَزَلَ وَكَلَّمَ المَرأةَ، فَأعجَبَتْهُ.

8 A nd after a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the body of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion.

وَبَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ عادَ لِيَتَزَوَّجَها. وَفِي طَرِيقِ عَودَتِهِ، انعَطَفَ لِيَرَى جُثَّةَ الأسَدِ، فَدُهِشَ إذْ رَأى سِرباً مِنَ النَحلِ وَعَسَلاً فِي جُثَّةِ الأسَدِ.

9 A nd he scraped some of the honey out into his hands and went along eating. And he came to his father and mother and gave them some, and they ate it; but he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.

فَغَرَفَ مِنْهُ بِيَدِهِ، وَمَضَى يَأكُلُ وَهُوَ يَمشِي. وَجاءَ إلَى أبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ، وَأعطاهُما بَعضَ العَسَلِ، فَأكَلا. لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُخبِرْهُما أنَّهُ أخَذَ العَسَلَ عَنْ جُثَّةِ الأسَدِ.

10 H is father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for that was the customary thing for young men to do.

وَنَزَلَ أبُوهُ إلَى المَرأةِ. وَصَنَعَ شَمْشُونُ وَلِيمَةً هُناكَ، كَما اعتادَ الشَّبابُ أنْ يَفعَلُوا.

11 A nd when the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

وَلَمّا رَآهُ الشَّعبُ، اختارُوا ثَلاثِينَ مِنْ رُفَقائِهِمْ لِيَكُونُوا مَعَهُ.

12 A nd Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you; if you can tell me what it is within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of raiment.

فَقالَ لَهُمْ شَمْشُونُ: «سأُعطِيكُمْ لُغْزاً، وَسأُمْهِلُكُمْ سَبْعَةَ أيّامٍ لِتَعْرِفُوا التَّفسِيرَ، هِيَ أيّامُ الوَلِيمَةِ. فَإذا تَمَكَّنْتُمْ مِنْ تَفسِيرِهِ، فَسَأُعطِيكُمْ ثَلاثِينَ ثَوباً مِنَ الكِتّانِ، وَثَلاثِينَ ثَوباً مُلَوَّناً.

13 B ut if you cannot declare it to me, then shall you give me thirty linen undergarments and thirty changes of festive raiment. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle, that we may hear it.

لَكِنْ إنْ عَجِزْتُمْ عَنْ تَفسِيرِهِ، تُعطُونِي أنْتُمْ ثَلاثِينَ ثَوباً مِنَ الكِتّانِ وَثَلاثِينَ ثَوباً مُلَوَّناً.» فَقالُوا لَهُ: «هاتِ لُغزَكَ. أسمِعْنا إيّاهُ.»

14 A nd he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not solve the riddle in three days.

فَقالَ لَهُمْ: «مِنَ الآكِلِ خَرَجَ أكلٌ، وَمِنَ القَوِيِّ خَرَجَتْ حَلاوَةٌ.» لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَستَطِيعُوا حَلَّ اللُّغْزِ فِي ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ.

15 A nd on the seventh day they said to Samson’s wife, Entice your husband to declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s household with fire. Have you invited us to make us poor? Is this not true?

وَفِي اليَومِ الرّابِعِ، قالُوا لِزَوجَةِ شَمْشُونَ: «احتالِي عَلَى زَوجِكِ لِكَي يُفَسِّرَ اللُّغْزَ لَنا، وَإلّا فَإنَّنا سَنُحرِقُكِ وَبَيتَ أبِيكِ بِالنّارِ. ألَعَلَّكُمْ دَعَوتُمُونا إلَى هُنا لِكَي تُفْقِرُونا؟»

16 A nd Samson’s wife wept before him and said, You only hate me, you do not love me; you have put forth a riddle to my countrymen and have not told the answer to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told my father or my mother, and shall I tell you?

فَبَكَتِ امْرأةُ شَمْشُونَ عَلَى كَتِفِهِ، وَقالَتْ لَهُ: «أنتَ تَكْرَهُنِي. أنتَ لا تُحِبُّنِي. أعطَيتَ لُغزاً لِشَعبِي، وَلَمْ تُفَسِّرْهُ لِي.» فَقالَ لَها: «اسْمَعِي، أنا لَمْ أُفَسِّرْهُ حَتَّى لِأبِي وَأُمِّي، فَكَيفَ أُفَسِّرُهُ لَكِ؟»

17 A nd Samson’s wife wept before him the seven days their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him with entreaties. Then she told the riddle to her countrymen.

فَبَكَتْ عَلَى كَتِفِهِ طَوالَ بَقِيَّةِ أيّامِ الوَلِيمَةِ السَّبعَةِ، وَفِي اليَومِ السّابِعِ شَرَحَ لَها اللُّغْزَ، لِأنَّها أزعَجَتْهُ كَثِيراَ. فَأخْبَرَتْ شَعبَها بِتَفْسِيرِ اللُّغْزِ.

18 A nd the men of the city said to on the seventh day before sundown, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.

فَقالَ رِجالُ البَلْدَةِ لَهُ فِي اليَومِ السّابِعِ قَبلَ شُرُوقِ الشَّمْسِ: «لا أحلَى مِنَ العَسَلِ، وَلا أقوَى مِنَ الأسَدِ!» فَقالَ لَهُمْ: «لَوْ لَمْ تَحرُثُوا عَلَى بَقَرَتِي، لَما اسْتَطَعْتُمْ حَلَّ أُحْجِيَتِي.»

19 A nd the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men of them and took their apparel, and gave the changes of garments to those who explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

ثُمَّ حَلَّ رُوحُ اللهِ عَلَيهِ بِقُوَّةٍ، فَنَزَلَ شَمْشُونُ إلَى أشْقَلُونَ، وَقَتَلَ ثَلاثِينَ فِلِسْطِيّاً، وَأخَذَ عُدَّتَهُمْ، وَأعطَى ثِيابَهُمْ لِلَّذِينَ فَسَّرُوا اللُّغْزَ. وَكانَ غاضِباً جِدّاً، فَذَهَبَ إلَى بَيتِ أبِيهِ.

20 B ut Samson’s wife was to his companion who was his friend.

وَصارَتْ عَرُوسُ شَمْشُونَ زَوجَةً لِرَفِيقِهِ الَّذِي كانَ إشْبِينَ العَرِيسِ.