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17 So she kept on crying in front of him for the entire seven days of the wedding party. On the seventh day he told the solution[a] to her because she nagged him, and then she told the solution to[b] the riddle to her relatives.

18 Then the men of the city answered him just before sunset on the seventh day:

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What are stronger than lions?”

Samson[c] responded,

“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer,
    you wouldn’t have solved my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed 30 men, took their belongings, and gave the garments to those who had told him the solution to[d] the riddle. He remained furious, left for his father’s house,

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:17 Lit. it
  2. Judges 14:17 The Heb. lacks the solution to
  3. Judges 14:18 Lit. He
  4. Judges 14:19 The Heb. lacks the solution to

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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