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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,[a] 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.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 14.19 Ashkelon: Another Philistine town.
  2. 14.20 one … at Samson's party: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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?”(A)

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.(B) He went down to Ashkelon,(C) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,(D) he returned to his father’s home. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to one of his companions(E) who had attended him at the feast.

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