1 A nd the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

The people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord again. So the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

2 A nd there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites. His name was Manoah. His wife was not able to have children.

3 A nd the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

Then the angel of the Lord came to the woman and said to her, “See, you have not been able to have any children. But the Lord will make it possible for you to have a child and you will give birth to a son.

4 N ow therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

So be careful not to drink wine or strong drink. Do not eat anything that is unclean.

5 f or, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

You will have a child and give birth to a son. His hair must never be cut. Because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the time he is born. He will begin to take Israel away from the Philistines’ power.”

6 T hen the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

Then the woman came and told her husband. She said, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the angel of God, filling me with fear. I did not ask him where he came from. And he did not tell me his name.

7 b ut he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.

But he said to me, ‘See, it will be possible for you to have a child and give birth to a son. Do not drink wine or strong drink or eat anything that is unclean. For the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the time he is born to the time he dies.’”

8 T hen Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

Then Manoah asked the Lord, saying, “O Lord, let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again. Let him teach us what to do for the boy who is to be born.”

9 A nd God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

God listened to Manoah. The angel of God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 A nd the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

So the woman ran to her husband in a hurry. She told him, “See, the man who came the other day has come to me again.”

11 A nd Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.

Manoah got up and followed his wife. 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 let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and how shall we do unto him?

Manoah said, “When your words come true, what will be the boy’s way of life? What should he do?”

13 A nd the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Let the woman be careful to do all I have said.

14 S he may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.

She must not eat anything from the vine or drink wine or strong drink. She must not eat anything that is unclean. Let her obey all I have told her.”

15 A nd Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We ask of you, stay with us. So we may get a young goat ready for you to eat.”

16 A nd the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah.

The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “I will stay, but I will not eat your food. But if you get a burnt gift ready, then give it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.

17 A nd Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor?

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name? So we may honor you when your words come true.”

18 A nd the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name? It is a name of wonder.”

19 S o Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.

So Manoah took the young goat with the grain gift. And he gave it on the rock to the Lord. Then the Lord did powerful works while Manoah and his wife watched.

20 F or it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

For the fire went up from the altar toward heaven. And the angel of the Lord went up in the fire of the altar. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces on the ground.

21 B ut the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah.

The angel of the Lord did not show himself to Manoah or his wife again. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.

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

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

23 B ut his wife said unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.

But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had wanted to kill us, He would not have received a burnt gift and grain gift from us. He would not have shown us all these things, or let us hear these things.”

24 A nd the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.

Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew up and the Lord brought good to him.

25 A nd the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And the Spirit of the Lord began to work through him at the tents of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.