1 T he 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.

And 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.

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

And 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.

3 T hen 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.

And 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.

4 S o be careful not to drink wine or strong drink. Do not eat anything that is unclean.

Therefore beware and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean.

5 Y ou 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.”

For 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.

6 T hen 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.

Then 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.

7 B ut 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.’”

But 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.

8 T hen 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.”

Then 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.

9 G od 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.

And 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.

10 S o 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.”

And 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.

11 M anoah 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.”

And 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.

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

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

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

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

14 S he 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.”

She 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.

15 M anoah 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.”

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

16 T he 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

19 S o 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.

So 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.

20 F or 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.

For 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.

21 T he 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.

The 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.

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

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

23 B ut 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.”

But 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.

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

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

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

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