1   Samson went downe to Thamnath, and sawe a wom&abar; in Thamnath of the daughters of the Philistines:

2   And he came vp, and told his father and his mother, ∧ said: I haue sene a woman in Thamnath of the daughters of the Philistines: ∧ nowe ^note geue me her to wyfe.

3   Then his father and mother sayd vnto him: ^note Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, ∧ among al my people, but that thou must go, and take a wyfe of the vncircumcised Philistines? And Samson sayd vnto his father: Geue me this woman, for she pleaseth me well.

4   But his father and mother ^note wist not that it was the Lordes doyng, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines raigned ouer Israel.

5   Then went Samson and his father ∧ his mother downe to Thamnath, and came to the vineyardes of Thamnath: and beholde, a young Lion roared vpon him.

6   And the spirite of the Lord ^note came vp&obar; him, and he tare him as he would haue rent a kydde, and yet had nothing in his hande: neither tolde his father and mother what he had done. B   

7   And he went downe, ∧ talked with the woman, whiche seemed well fauoured in the sight of Samson.

Samsons riddle.

8   And within a short space after, as he w&ebar;t thyther againe to take her to wife, he turned out of the way to see the carkasse of the Lion: And beholde, there was a swarme of bees and hony in the carkasse of the Lion.

9   And he toke therof in his handes, and went eating, and came to his father and mother, and gaue them also, and they did eate: But he tolde not them that he had taken the hony out of the carkasse of the Lion.

10   And so his father went downe vnto the woman, and Samson made there a ^note feast: for so vsed the younge men to do.

11   And wh&ebar; they sawe him, they brought thirtie companions to be with him.

12   And Samson sayd vnto them, I will nowe put foorth a riddle vnto you: ∧ yf you can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, I will geue you thirtie ^note sheetes, ∧ thirtie chaunge of garmentes:

13   But and if you can not declare it me, then shal ye geue me thirtie sheetes and thirtie chaunge of ^note garmentes. And they aunswered him: Put foorth thy riddle, that we may heare it. C   

14   And he sayd vnto them: Out of the eater came meate, and out of the strong came sweetnesse. And they coulde not in three dayes expounde the riddle.

15   And wh&ebar; the ^note seuenth day was come, they sayd vnto Samsons wyfe: Flatter Samsons wyfe. thyne husband that he may declare vs the riddle, lest we burne thee and thy fathers house with fire: Haue ye called vs hyther, to make vs beggers? is it not so?

16   And Samsons wyfe wept before him and sayd, Surely thou hatest me and louest me not: for thou hast put foorth a riddle vnto the children of my folke, and hast not tolde it me. And he sayde vnto her: Beholde, I haue not tolde it my father and my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

17   And Samsons wyfe wept before him seuen dayes, whyle the feast lasted: And the seuenth day he told her, because she lay so sore vp&obar; him. And she tolde the riddle to the children of her folke.

18   And the men of the citie sayd vnto him the seuenth day, before the sunne went downe: What is sweeter then hony? and what is stronger then a Lion? Then sayd he vnto them: Yf ye had not plowed with my ^note heyffer, ye had not founde out my riddle.

19   And the spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and he went downe to ^note Askalon, and slue thirtie men of them, and spoyled them, ∧ gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto them which expounded the riddle: And he was wroth, and went vp to his fathers house.

20   But Samsons wyfe was geuen to one of his companions that he had taken vnto him.

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