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17 But she cried on his shoulder for the rest of the seven days of the feast. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her the answer, for she had nagged him. And she told her people the answer to the riddle. 18 So on the seventh day, before the sun set, the townspeople said to him,

“What’s sweeter than honey?
    What’s stronger than a lion?”

He replied to them,

“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer,
    you wouldn’t have figured out my riddle!”

19 Then the Lord’s spirit rushed over him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty of their men, stripped them of their gear, and gave the sets of clothes to the ones who had told the answer to the riddle. In anger, he went back up to his father’s household.

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17 She cried the whole seven days(A) of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”(B)

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.(C) He went down to Ashkelon,(D) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,(E) he returned to his father’s home.

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