Samson Gets Married
1 One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman. 2 When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”
3 His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?”
“She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”
4 At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the Lord wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.
5 As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson. 6 But the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.
7 When they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.
8 Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey. 9 He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.
10 While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did. 11 When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told 30 of their young men to stay with him at the party.
12 Samson told the 30 young men, “This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the answer before the party is over, I'll give each of you a shirt and a full change of clothing. 13 But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.”
“It's a bet!” the Philistines said. “Tell us the riddle.”
14 Samson said:
Once so strong and mighty—
now so sweet and tasty!
Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer. 15 Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.”
16 Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.”
“But I haven't even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied. “Why should I tell you?”
17 For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.
18 Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer:
A lion is the strongest—
honey is the sweetest!
Samson replied,
This answer you have given me
doubtless came
from my bride-to-be.
19 Then the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where he killed 30 men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the 30 young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.
20 The father of the bride made Samson's wife marry one of the 30 young men that had been at Samson's party.
Samuuda la futuwo
1 Luŋ kiliŋ, Samuuda taata Timuna saatewo to. A ye Filisitinka sunkutoo doo le je jee, meŋ na kuwo ye a ñaabo. 2 Bituŋ kabiriŋ a muruta, a ye a la kuwo fo a baa niŋ a faa ye. A ko ì ye ko, “Ŋa sunkutoo doo le je Filisitinka sunkutoolu kono Timuna saatewo to. Dukaree, ali a ñini n ye ka a futuu.” 3 Bari a baa niŋ a faa ko a ye ko, “Fo ite maŋ musu je i baadiŋolu kono, waraŋ ǹ na moolu bee kono, fo i ka taa musoo ñini ñiŋ Filisitinka sunnabaloolu kono?” Bari Samuuda ko a faamaa ye le ko, “A ñini n ye, kaatu a la kuwo ye n ñaabo le.” 4 Bari a baa niŋ a faa maŋ ñiŋ loŋ ko, ñiŋ kuwo mu Yaawe* faŋo la natoo le ti. Yaawe be ñiŋ ne ñini kaŋ ka Filisitinkoolu kele. Kaatu wo waatoo la Filisitinkoolu le be Banisirayilankoolu mara kaŋ.
5 Bituŋ Samuuda niŋ a baa niŋ a faa taata Timuna. Kabiriŋ a futata Timuna wayini* yiri kankaŋolu ma, jee niŋ jee, jatoo kumatoo fintita Samuuda kaŋ. 6 Yaawe la Nooroo jiita Samuuda kaŋ. A ye jatoo ñiŋ fara a buloo la, komeŋ niŋ i be baariŋo fara la ñoo bala. Bari a maŋ feŋ fo a baa niŋ a faa ye, a ye meŋ ke. 7 Bituŋ a taata sunkutoo yaa, a diyaamuta a ye, aduŋ sunkutoo ñiŋ na kuwo ye a ñaabo le.
8 Waati dantaŋ koolaa, a muruta Timuna ka ñiŋ sunkutoo futuu. Kabiriŋ a be taa kaŋ, a soota kara la ka wo jata furewo juubee. A ye a tara jata furewo ñiŋ homboo kono, kumoolu ye liyo laa jee. 9 A ye liyo ñiŋ bo, a ye a ke a buloo kono. A tarata liyo ñiŋ domo kaŋ, a taatoo. Kabiriŋ a futata a baa niŋ a faa ma, a ye doo dii ì la, bituŋ ì fanaalu ye a domo. Bari a maŋ a fo ì ye ko, a ye liyo ñiŋ bo jata furewo le kono.
10 A faamaa taata Timuna saatewo to ka futuwo siti. Samuuda ye futuusiti juurali baa le ke, ko fondinkewolu dalita a ke la ñaameŋ wo waatoo la. 11 Kabiriŋ Filisitinkoolu ye a je, ì ye kambaane taŋ saba tomboŋ ka kafu a fee a la futuusiti juuraloo to. 12 Samuuda ko ì ye ko, “Ali i batu, ŋa mansaaloo fo ali ye. Niŋ ali ye a kotoo firiŋ noo n ye, janniŋ futuusiti juuraloo tili woorowuloo, m be daari faani dendika taŋ saba le dii la ali la, aniŋ pareeraŋ dendika ñiimaa taŋ saba. 13 Bari niŋ ali maŋ a firiŋ noo n ye, wo to ali fanaa be daari faani dendika taŋ saba le dii la n na, aniŋ pareeraŋ dendika ñiimaa taŋ saba.” Bituŋ ì ko a ye ko, “I la mansaaloo fo, ŋà a moyi.” 14 A ko ì ye ko,
“Domori feŋo bota domorilaa kono.
Feŋ diimaa bota sembemaa kono.”
A taata fo tili saba, ì maŋ ñiŋ mansaaloo firiŋ noo. 15 Tili naaninjaŋo, ì ko Samuuda la musoo ye ko, “I keemaa neenee ka ñiŋ mansaaloo kotoo firiŋ ǹ ye, niŋ wo nte m̀ be i niŋ i faa la buŋo jani la le. Fo ali ye ntolu kili jaŋ ne ka m̀ fuwaareyandi baŋ?” 16 Bituŋ Samuuda la musoo kumboota a daala, a ko a ye ko, “Ite ye nte koŋ ne, tooñaa-tooñaa, i maŋ n kanu. I ye n na moolu ñininkaa mansaaloo doo le la, bari i maŋ soŋ na a kotoo fo la n ye.” Samuuda ko a ye ko, “M maŋ ñiŋ kumoo fo m baa ye, waraŋ m faa. Daliila jumaa le be a tinna la, m be a fo la ite ye?” 17 A kumboota a daala, ì la futuusiti juuraloo tili woorowuloo bee la, luŋ labaŋo, kabiriŋ a ye a korindi, a ye mansaaloo ñiŋ kotoo fo a ye. Bituŋ a taata a saata a la moolu ye. 18 Tili woorowulanjaŋo, janniŋ tiloo ka boyi, saatewo kewolu naata mansaaloo ñiŋ kotoo firiŋ Samuuda ye. Ì ko a ye ko,
“Muŋ ne diyaata liyo ti?
Feŋ jumaa le bambanta jatoo ti?”
Wo le to a ko ì ye ko,
“Niŋ ali maŋ senoo ke niŋ n na ninsi yeerewo la,
ali te n na ñiŋ mansaaloo firiŋ noo la.”
19 Bituŋ Yaawe la Nooroo jiita Samuuda kaŋ. A taata Asikeloni, a ye kee taŋ saba faa jee. A ye ì la duŋ feŋolu wura ì la, a ye jontotaaraŋ pareeraŋ dendika ñiimaalu dii a la mansaali firinnaalu la. A seyita a faamaa yaa, a niŋ kamfaa baa. 20 Ì naata Samuuda la musoo niilaa ka a dii kambaane doo la, a niŋ meŋ ye a la futuusiti juuraloo kidimandi.
