Jueces 14

1Sansón bajó a Timná, donde vio a una mujer de las hijas de los filisteos.

2Cuando subió (a su casa) habló a su padre y a su madre, diciendo: “He visto en Timná a una mujer de las hijas de los filisteos; ahora pues, tomádmela por mujer.”

3Dijéronle su padre y su madre: “¿Acaso no hay mujer entre las hijas de tus hermanos, ni entre todo mi pueblo, para que tú vayas a tomar mujer de entre los incircuncisos filisteos?” Pero Sansón contestó a su padre: “Tómame a esa porque me gusta.”

4Su padre y su madre no sabían que esto venía de Yahvé, por cuanto buscaba ocasión contra los filisteos, pues los filisteos dominaban a la sazón a Israel.

5Bajó Sansón con su padre y su madre a Timná, y cuando llegaron a las viñas de Timná, he aquí que un leoncillo salió rugiendo a su encuentro.

6Entonces vino el Espíritu de Yahvé sobre Sansón y sin tener nada a mano, lo desgarró como se desgarra un cabrito; pero no dijo ni a su padre ni a su madre lo que había hecho.

7Bajó y habló con la mujer, y ella gustó a Sansón.

8Pasado algún tiempo volvió para tomarla y se apartó del camino para ver el cuerpo del león; y he aquí que dentro del cuerpo del león había un enjambre de abejas y un panal de miel.

9Lo tomó en sus manos, y siguiendo el camino comió, y cuando alcanzó a su padre y su madre, les dio y ellos comieron; mas no les dijo que había tomado la miel del cadáver del león.

10Luego bajó su padre a casa de la mujer, y Sansón hizo allí un banquete; porque tal era la costumbre de los mozos.

11Cuando ellos le vieron le dieron treinta compañeros para acompañarle;

12a los cuales dijo Sansón: “Voy a proponeros un enigma; si me lo descifráis dentro de los siete días del banquete y encontráis el sentido, os daré treinta túnicas y treinta mudas de ropa.

13Pero si no podéis descifrármelo me daréis vosotros a mí treinta túnicas y treinta mudas de ropa.” Ellos respondieron: “Propón tu enigma para que lo oigamos.”

14Les dijo entonces: “Del que come salió manjar, y del fuerte salió dulzura.” Y no pudieron descifrarle el enigma en tres días.

15Al séptimo día dijeron a la mujer de Sansón: “Persuade a tu marido, para que nos descifre el enigma; de lo contrario te quemaremos a ti y a la casa de tu padre. ¿Acaso nos habéis convidado para robarnos?”

16Y lloraba la mujer de Sansón delante de él y le decía: “Solo me odias y no me amas; has propuesto este enigma a los hijos de mi pueblo, sin descifrármelo a mí.” Le contestó: “Mira, no lo he explicado ni a mi padre ni a mi madre. ¿Acaso he de explicártelo a ti?”

17Mas ella lloraba delante de él los siete días que duró el banquete. Y al séptimo día él le dio la explicación, porque le molestaba mucho, y ella descifró el enigma a los hijos de su pueblo.

18Le dijeron los hombres de la ciudad al séptimo día, antes de ponerse el sol: “¿Qué cosa más dulce que la miel? ¿qué más fuerte que el león?” Les respondió: “Si no hubierais arado con mi novilla, no habríais descifrado mi enigma.”

19Y vino el Espíritu de Yahvé sobre él; bajó a Ascalón, mató allí treinta hombres, y quitándoles los despojos, dio las mudas de ropa a los que habían descifrado el enigma; y ardiendo de cólera subió a casa de su padre.

20Entretanto, la mujer de Sansón fue dada a uno de los compañeros que le había servido de amigo (en las bodas).

1Descendit ergo Samson in Thamnatha: vidensque ibi mulierem de filiabus Philisthiim,

2ascendit, et nuntiavit patri suo et matri suæ, dicens: Vidi mulierem in Thamnatha de filiabus Philisthinorum: quam quæso ut mihi accipiatis uxorem.

3Cui dixerunt pater et mater sua: Numquid non est mulier in filiabus fratrum tuorum, et in omni populo meo, quia vis accipere uxorem de Philisthiim, qui incircumcisi sunt? Dixitque Samson ad patrem suum: Hanc mihi accipe: quia placuit oculis meis.

4Parentes autem ejus nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret, et quæreret occasionem contra Philisthiim: eo enim tempore Philisthiim dominabantur Israëli.

5Descendit itaque Samson cum patre suo et matre in Thamnatha. Cumque venissent ad vineas oppidi, apparuit catulus leonis sævus, et rugiens, et occurrit ei.

6Irruit autem spiritus Domini in Samson, et dilaceravit leonem, quasi hædum in frustra discerpens, nihil omnino habens in manu: et hoc patri et matri noluit indicare.

7Descenditque, et locutus est mulieri quæ placuerat oculis ejus.

8Et post aliquot dies revertens ut acciperet eam, declinavit ut videret cadaver leonis, et ecce examen apum in ore leonis erat ac favus mellis.

9Quem cum sumpsisset in manibus comedebat in via: veniensque ad patrem suum et matrem, dedit eis partem, qui et ipsi comederunt: nec tamen eis voluit indicare quod mel de corpore leonis assumpserat.

10Descendit itaque pater ejus ad mulierem, et fecit filio suo Samson convivium: sic enim juvenes facere consueverant.

11Cum ergo cives loci illius vidissent eum, dederunt ei sodales triginta ut essent cum eo.

12Quibus locutus est Samson: Proponam vobis problema: quod si solveritis mihi intra septem dies convivii, dabo vobis triginta sindones, et totidem tunicas:

13sin autem non potueritis solvere, vos dabitis mihi triginta sindones, et ejusdem numeri tunicas. Qui responderunt ei: Propone problema, ut audiamus.

14Dixitque eis: [De comedente exivit cibus, et de forti egressa est dulcedo.] Nec potuerunt per tres dies propositionem solvere.

15Cumque adesset dies septimus, dixerunt ad uxorem Samson: Blandire viro tuo et suade ei ut indicet tibi quid significet problema: quod si facere nolueris, incendemus te, et domum patris tui: an idcirco vocastis nos ad nuptias ut spoliaretis?

16Quæ fundebat apud Samson lacrimas, et quærebatur, dicens: Odisti me, et non diligis: idcirco problema, quod proposuisti filiis populi mei, non vis mihi exponere. At ille respondit: Patri meo et matri nolui dicere: et tibi indicare potero?

17Septem igitur diebus convivii flebat ante eum: tandemque die septimo cum ei esset molesta, exposuit. Quæ statim indicavit civibus suis.

18Et illi dixerunt ei die septimo ante solis occubitum: [Quid dulcius melle, et quid fortius leone?] Qui ait ad eos: [Si non arassetis in vitula mea, non invenissetis propositionem meam.]

19Irruit itaque in eum spiritus Domini, descenditque Ascalonem, et percussit ibi triginta viros: quorum ablatas vestes dedit iis qui problema solverant. Iratusque nimis ascendit in domum patris sui:

20uxor autem ejus accepit maritum unum de amicis ejus et pronubis.

1Then Samson went down to Thamnatlia, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines,

2He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I beseech you, take her for me to wife.

3And his father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou wilt take a wife of the Philistines, who are uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father: Take this woman for me, for she hath pleased my eyes.

4Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Thamnatha. And when they were come to the vineyards of the town, behold a young lion met him raging and roaring.

6And the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion as he would have torn a kid in pieces, having nothing at all in his hand: and he would not tell this to his father and mother.

7And he went down and spoke to the woman that had pleased his eyes.

8And after some days returning to take her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion and a honeycomb.

9And when be had taken it in his hands, he went on eating: and coming to his father and mother, he gave them of it, and they ate: but he would not tell them, that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.

10So his father went down to the woman, and made a feast for his son Samson: for so the young men used to do.

11And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him thirty companions to be with him.

12And Samson said to them: I will propose to you a riddle, which if you declare unto me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty shirts, and as many coats:

13But if you shall not be able to declare it, you shall give me thirty shirts and the same number of coats. They answered him: Put forth the riddle that we may hear it.

14And he said to them: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson: Soothe thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy father’s house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip us?

16So she wept before Samson and complained, saying: Thou hatest me, and dost not love me: therefore thou wilt not expound to me the riddle which thou hast proposed to the sons of my people. But he answered: I would not tell it to my father and mother, and how can I tell it to thee?

17So she wept before him the seven days of the feast: and at length on the seventh day as she was troublesome to him, he expounded it. And she immediately told her countrymen.

18And they on the seventh day before the sun went down said to him: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not found out my riddle.

19And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and slew there thirty men, whose garments he took away and gave to them that had declared the riddle. And being exceeding angry he went up to his father’s house:

20But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for her husband.