1 T hen Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.

Desceu Sansão a Timnate; e vendo em Timnate uma mulher das filhas dos filisteus,

2 S o he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

subiu, e declarou-o a seu pai e a sua mãe, dizendo: Vi uma mulher em Timnate, das filhas dos filisteus; agora pois, tomai-ma por mulher.

3 T hen his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.”

Responderam-lhe, porém, seu pai e sua mãe: Não há, porventura, mulher entre as filhas de teus irmãos, nem entre todo o nosso povo, para que tu vás tomar mulher dos filisteus, daqueles incircuncisos? Disse, porém, Sansão a seu pai: Toma esta para mim, porque ela muito me agrada.

4 H owever, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Mas seu pai e sua mãe não sabiam que isto vinha do Senhor, que buscava ocasião contra os filisteus; porquanto naquele tempo os filisteus dominavam sobre Israel.

5 T hen Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.

Desceu, pois, Sansão com seu pai e com sua mãe a Timnate. E, chegando ele

6 T he Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Então o Espírito do Senhor se apossou dele, de modo que ele, sem ter coisa alguma na mão, despedaçou o leão como se fosse um cabrito. E não disse nem a seu pai nem a sua mãe o que tinha feito.

7 S o he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked good to Samson.

Depois desceu e falou

8 W hen he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion.

Passado algum tempo, Sansão voltou para recebê-la; e apartando-se de caminho para ver o cadáver do leão, eis que nele havia um enxame de abelhas, e mel.

9 S o he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.

E tirando-o nas mãos, foi andando e comendo dele; chegando aonde estavam seu pai e sua mãe, deu-lhes do mel, e eles comeram; porém não lhes disse que havia tirado o mel do corpo do leão.

10 T hen his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.

Desceu, pois, seu pai ã casa da mulher; e Sansão fez ali um banquete, porque assim os mancebos costumavam fazer.

11 W hen they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. Samson’s Riddle

E sucedeu que, quando os habitantes do lugar o viram, trouxeram trinta companheiros para estarem com ele.

12 T hen Samson said to them, “Let me now propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.

Disse-lhes, pois, Sansão: Permiti-me propor-vos um enigma; se nos sete dias das bodas o decifrardes e mo descobrirdes, eu vos darei trinta túnicas de linho e trinta mantos;

13 B ut if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propound your riddle, that we may hear it.”

mas se não puderdes decifrar, vós me dareis a mim as trinta túnicas de linho e os trinta mantos. Ao que lhe responderam eles: Propõe o teu enigma, para que o ouçamos.

14 S o he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” But they could not tell the riddle in three days.

Então lhes disse: Do que come saiu comida, e do forte saiu doçura. E em três dias não puderam decifrar o enigma.

15 T hen it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “ Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so ?”

Ao quarto dia, pois, disseram ã mulher de Sansão: Persuade teu marido a que declare o enigma, para que não queimemos a fogo a ti e ã casa de teu pai. Acaso nos convidastes para nos despojardes?

16 S amson’s wife wept before him and said, “ You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have propounded a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?”

E a mulher de Sansão chorou diante dele, e disse: Tão-somente me aborreces, e não me amas; pois propuseste aos filhos do meu povo um enigma, e não mo declaraste a mim. Respondeu-lhe ele: Eis que nem a meu pai nem a minha mãe o declarei, e to declararei a ti.

17 H owever she wept before him seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people.

Assim ela chorava diante dele os sete dias em que celebravam as bodas. Sucedeu, pois, que ao sétimo dia lho declarou, porquanto o importunava; então ela declarou o enigma aos filhos do seu povo.

18 S o the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have found out my riddle.”

Os homens da cidade, pois, ainda no sétimo dia, antes de se pôr o sol, disseram a Sansão: Que coisa há mais doce do que o mel? e que coisa há mais forte do que o leão? Respondeu-lhes ele: Se vós não tivésseis lavrado com a minha novilha, não teríeis descoberto o meu enigma.

19 T hen the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of them and took their spoil and gave the changes of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.

Então o Espírito do Senhor se apossou dele, de modo que desceu a Asquelom, matou trinta dos seus homens e, tomando as suas vestes, deu-as aos que declararam o enigma; e, ardendo em ira, subiu ã casa de seu pai.

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

E a mulher de Sansão foi dada ao seu companheiro, que lhe servira de paraninfo.: