Judges 14 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Judges 14 (WEBP)

[1] Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
[2] He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”
[3] Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
[4] But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
[5] Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared at him.
[6] Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat with his bare hands, but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done.
[7] He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.
[8] After a while he returned to take her, and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
[9] He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother and gave to them, and they ate, but he didn’t tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.
[10] His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.
[11] When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
[12] Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
[13] but if you can’t tell me the answer, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, that we may hear it.”
[14] He said to them, “Out of the eater came out food. Out of the strong came out sweetness.” They couldn’t in three days declare the riddle.
[15] On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Isn’t that so?”
[16] Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, “You just hate me, and don’t love me. You’ve told a riddle to the children of my people, and haven’t told it to me.” He said to her, “Behold, I haven’t told my father or my mother, so why should I tell you?”
[17] She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and on the seventh day, he told her, because she pressed him severely; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
[18] The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have found out my riddle.”
[19] Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them. He took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
[20] But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Judges 14 (KJVS)

[1] And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
[2] And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
[3] Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
[4] But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
[5] Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
[6] And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
[7] And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
[8] And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
[9] And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
[10] So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
[11] And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
[12] And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
[13] but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
[14] And he said unto 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.
[15] And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
[16] And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
[17] And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
[18] And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.
[19] And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.
[20] But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Judges 14:3 She is right in mine eyes
Judges 14:5 Heb. in meeting him
Judges 14:12 Or, shirts
Judges 14:15 Heb. to possess us, or to impoverish us?
Judges 14:17 Or, the rest of the seven days, etc.
Judges 14:19 Or, apparel

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Judges 14 (BYZ)

[1] Καὶ () κατέβη () Σαμψων () εἰς () Θαμναθα καὶ () εἶδεν () γυναῖκα () ἐν () Θαμναθα ἐκ () τῶν () θυγατέρων () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων () καὶ () ἤρεσεν () ἐνώπιον () αὐτοῦ. ()
[2] Καὶ () ἀνέβη () καὶ () ἀπήγγειλεν () τῷ () πατρὶ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () τῇ () μητρὶ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () εἶπεν () Γυναῖκα () ἑώρακα () ἐν () Θαμναθα ἀπὸ () τῶν () θυγατέρων () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων, () καὶ () νῦν () λάβετέ () μοι () αὐτὴν () εἰς () γυναῖκα. ()
[3] Καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτῷ () ὁ () πατὴρ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἡ () μήτηρ () αὐτοῦ () Μὴ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἀπὸ () τῶν () θυγατέρων () τῶν () ἀδελφῶν () σου () καὶ () ἐν () παντὶ () τῷ () λαῷ () μου () γυνή, () ὅτι () σὺ () πορεύῃ () λαβεῖν () γυναῖκα () ἐκ () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων () τῶν () ἀπεριτμήτων; () Καὶ () εἶπεν () Σαμψων () πρὸς () τὸν () πατέρα () αὐτοῦ () Ταύτην () λαβέ () μοι, () ὅτι () ἤρεσεν () ἐν () ὀφθαλμοῖς () μου. ()
[4] Καὶ () ὁ () πατὴρ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἡ () μήτηρ () αὐτοῦ () οὐκ () ἔγνωσαν () ὅτι () παρὰ () κυρίου () ἐστίν, () ὅτι () ἀνταπόδομα () αὐτὸς () ἐκζητεῖ () ἐκ () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων· () καὶ () ἐν () τῷ () καιρῷ () ἐκείνῳ () ἀλλόφυλοι () ἐκυρίευον () τῶν () υἱῶν () Ισραηλ. ()
[5] Καὶ () κατέβη () Σαμψων () καὶ () ὁ () πατὴρ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἡ () μήτηρ () αὐτοῦ () εἰς () Θαμναθα. Καὶ () ἐξέκλινεν () εἰς () ἀμπελῶνα () Θαμναθα, καὶ () ἰδοὺ () σκύμνος λεόντων () ὠρυόμενος () εἰς () ἀπάντησιν () αὐτοῦ· ()
[6] καὶ () κατηύθυνεν () ἐπ’ () αὐτὸν () πνεῦμα () κυρίου, () καὶ () διέσπασεν () αὐτόν, () ὡσεὶ () διασπάσαι () ἔριφον () αἰγῶν, καὶ () οὐδὲν () ἦν () ἐν () τῇ () χειρὶ () αὐτοῦ. () Καὶ () οὐκ () ἀπήγγειλεν () τῷ () πατρὶ () αὐτοῦ () οὐδὲ () τῇ () μητρὶ () ἃ () ἐποίησεν. ()
[7] Καὶ () κατέβησαν () καὶ () ἐλάλησαν () τῇ () γυναικί, () καὶ () ἤρεσεν () ἐνώπιον () Σαμψων. ()
[8] Καὶ () ἐπέστρεψεν () μεθ’ () ἡμέρας () λαβεῖν () αὐτὴν () καὶ () ἐξέκλινεν () ἰδεῖν () τὸ () πτῶμα () τοῦ () λέοντος, () καὶ () ἰδοὺ () συστροφὴ () μελισσῶν ἐν () τῷ () στόματι () τοῦ () λέοντος () καὶ () μέλι () ἦν. ()
[9] Καὶ () ἐξεῖλεν () αὐτὸ () εἰς () τὸ () στόμα () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἐπορεύθη () πορευόμενος () καὶ () ἔσθων· καὶ () ἐπορεύθη () πρὸς () τὸν () πατέρα () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () πρὸς () τὴν () μητέρα () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἔδωκεν () αὐτοῖς, () καὶ () ἔφαγον· () καὶ () οὐκ () ἀπήγγειλεν () αὐτοῖς () ὅτι () ἐκ () τῆς () ἕξεως () τοῦ () λέοντος () ἐξεῖλεν () τὸ () μέλι. ()
[10] Καὶ () κατέβη () ὁ () πατὴρ () αὐτοῦ () πρὸς () τὴν () γυναῖκα· () καὶ () ἐποίησεν () ἐκεῖ () Σαμψων () πότον () ἡμέρας () ἑπτά, () ὅτι () οὕτως () ἐποίουν () οἱ () νεανίσκοι. ()
[11] Καὶ () ἐγένετο () ἐν () τῷ () φοβεῖσθαι () αὐτοὺς () αὐτὸν () προσκατέστησαν αὐτῷ () ἑταίρους () τριάκοντα, () καὶ () ἦσαν () μετ’ () αὐτοῦ. ()
[12] Καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτοῖς () Σαμψων () Προβαλῶ () ὑμῖν () πρόβλημα, καὶ () ἐὰν () ἀπαγγείλητέ () μοι () τὸ () πρόβλημα ἐν () ταῖς () ἑπτὰ () ἡμέραις () τοῦ () πότου, () δώσω () ὑμῖν () τριάκοντα () σινδόνας () καὶ () τριάκοντα () στολάς· ()
[13] καὶ () ἐὰν () μὴ () δυνασθῆτε () ἀπαγγεῖλαί () μοι, () καὶ () δώσετε () ὑμεῖς () ἐμοὶ () τριάκοντα () σινδόνας () καὶ () τριάκοντα () στολὰς () ἱματίων. () Καὶ () εἶπαν () αὐτῷ () Προβαλοῦ () τὸ () πρόβλημά σου, () καὶ () ἀκουσόμεθα () αὐτοῦ. ()
[14] Καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτοῖς () Ἐκ () τοῦ () ἔσθοντος ἐξῆλθεν () βρῶσις, () καὶ () ἐξ () ἰσχυροῦ () ἐξῆλθεν () γλυκύ. () Καὶ () οὐκ () ἠδυνάσθησαν () ἀπαγγεῖλαι () τὸ () πρόβλημα ἐπὶ () τρεῖς () ἡμέρας. ()
[15] Καὶ () ἐγένετο () ἐν () τῇ () ἡμέρᾳ () τῇ () τετάρτῃ () καὶ () εἶπαν () τῇ () γυναικὶ () Σαμψων () Ἀπάτησον () δὴ () τὸν () ἄνδρα () σου () καὶ () ἀπαγγειλάτω () σοι () τὸ () πρόβλημα, μήποτε () ἐμπυρίσωμέν σε () καὶ () τὸν () οἶκον () τοῦ () πατρός () σου () ἐν () πυρί· () ἦ () πτωχεῦσαι () ἐκαλέσατε () ἡμᾶς; ()
[16] Καὶ () ἔκλαυσεν () ἡ () γυνὴ () Σαμψων () ἐπ’ () αὐτὸν () καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτῷ () Μεμίσηκάς () με () καὶ () οὐκ () ἠγάπηκάς () με, () ὅτι () τὸ () πρόβλημα, ὃ () προεβάλου () τοῖς () υἱοῖς () τοῦ () λαοῦ () μου, () κἀμοὶ () οὐκ () ἀπήγγειλας () αὐτό. () Καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτῇ () Σαμψων () Ἰδοὺ () τῷ () πατρί () μου () καὶ () τῇ () μητρί () μου () οὐκ () ἀπήγγειλα () αὐτό, () καὶ () σοὶ () ἀπαγγελῶ; ()
[17] Καὶ () ἔκλαυσεν () ἐπ’ () αὐτὸν () ἐπὶ () τὰς () ἑπτὰ () ἡμέρας, () ἐν () αἷς () ἦν () ἐν () αὐταῖς () ὁ () πότος· () καὶ () ἐγένετο () ἐν () τῇ () ἡμέρᾳ () τῇ () ἑβδόμῃ () καὶ () ἀπήγγειλεν () αὐτῇ, () ὅτι () παρηνώχλησεν () αὐτόν· () καὶ () αὐτὴ () ἀπήγγειλεν () τοῖς () υἱοῖς () τοῦ () λαοῦ () αὐτῆς. ()
[18] Καὶ () εἶπαν () αὐτῷ () οἱ () ἄνδρες () τῆς () πόλεως () ἐν () τῇ () ἡμέρᾳ () τῇ () ἑβδόμῃ () πρὶν () δῦναι () τὸν () ἥλιον () Τί () γλυκύτερον () μέλιτος, () καὶ () τί () ἰσχυρότερον () λέοντος; () Καὶ () εἶπεν () αὐτοῖς () Σαμψων () Εἰ () μὴ () κατεδαμάσατέ μου () τὴν () δάμαλιν, () οὐκ () ἂν () εὕρετε () τὸ () πρόβλημά μου. ()
[19] Καὶ () κατεύθυνεν () ἐπ’ () αὐτὸν () πνεῦμα () κυρίου, () καὶ () κατέβη () εἰς () Ἀσκαλῶνα καὶ () ἔπαισεν () ἐκεῖθεν () τριάκοντα () ἄνδρας () καὶ () ἔλαβεν () τὰς () στολὰς () αὐτῶν () καὶ () ἔδωκεν () τοῖς () ἀπαγγείλασιν () τὸ () πρόβλημα. Καὶ () ἐθυμώθη () ὀργῇ () Σαμψων () καὶ () ἀνέβη () εἰς () τὸν () οἶκον () τοῦ () πατρὸς () αὐτοῦ. ()
[20] Καὶ () συνῴκησεν () ἡ () γυνὴ () Σαμψων () τῷ () νυμφαγωγῷ αὐτοῦ, () ὃς () ἦν () ἑταῖρος () αὐτοῦ. ()

Judges 14:6 Corrected from πνεύμα, as seen in RH. A long vowel accented on the next-to-last syllable takes the circumflex when the last syllable is short. This edition prints πνεῦμα at its 238 other occurrences.

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.