“‘ The Lord Yahweh says:“ Because the Philistines have taken revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt of soul to destroy with perpetual hostility;”

主耶和华如此说：“因非利士人向犹大人报仇，就是以恨恶的心报仇雪恨，永怀仇恨，要毁灭他们，

“主耶和华如此说：因非利士人报仇，就是心存轻蔑报仇；他们永怀仇恨，意图毁灭，

“主耶和华如此说：因非利士人报仇，就是心存轻蔑报仇；他们永怀仇恨，意图毁灭，

“主耶和华说，‘非利士人心存仇恨，为了报世仇要毁灭犹大，

主耶和华这样说：“因为非利士人向犹大人报仇雪恨，心存轻蔑报仇雪恨，他们永远怀恨，要毁灭犹大，

主耶和華如此說：「因非利士人向猶大人報仇，就是以恨惡的心報仇雪恨，永懷仇恨，要毀滅他們，

「主耶和華如此說：因非利士人報仇，就是心存輕蔑報仇；他們永懷仇恨，意圖毀滅，

「主耶和華如此說：因非利士人報仇，就是心存輕蔑報仇；他們永懷仇恨，意圖毀滅，

「主耶和華說，『非利士人心存仇恨，為了報世仇要毀滅猶大，

主耶和華這樣說：“因為非利士人向猶大人報仇雪恨，心存輕蔑報仇雪恨，他們永遠懷恨，要毀滅猶大，

『永恆主這麼說：非利士人對猶大人既行了報仇的事，既滿心懷着輕蔑之意而報仇，以永存的仇恨心要毁滅他們，

主耶和華曰、非利士人心存蔑視、而行報復、從其永憾、圖滅我民、

主耶和華曰、非利士人藏匿舊怨、中心叵測、以害我民、

主天主如是云、非利士人攻我民、狂傲復仇、欲翦滅之、乃從其舊恨、

“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says:‘ Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,

The Lord and King says,“ Deep down inside them, the Philistines hated Judah. So the Philistines tried to get even with them. They had been Judah’s enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them.”

“ Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity,

“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long standing contempt.

“‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their perpetual hatred,

‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ Because the Philistines have acted in revenge, and have taken vengeance with malice in their souls to destroy with everlasting hostility,”

‘ Thus says the Lord GOD:“ Because the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the old hatred,”

Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with despite of soul to destroy with perpetual enmity;

This is what the Lord God says:“ Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their ancient hatred,

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy[ it] for the old hatred;

“ This is what the sovereign LORD says:‘ The Philistines have exacted merciless revenge, showing intense scorn in their effort to destroy Judah with unrelenting hostility.

For the Lord Yahweh says:“ Because you have clapped your hands, stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the contempt of your soul against the land of Israel;

Don’t rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

“‘ The Lord Yahweh says:“ Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and taken revenge on them;”

The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the lowland, and of the South of Judah, and had taken Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also Gimzo and its villages; and they lived there.

and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

Yahweh says:“ For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom;but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces.I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish,” says the Lord Yahweh.

Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to take away their livestock.

The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said,“ Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said,“ What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that Yahweh’s ark had come into the camp.

Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.I will encamp around my house against the army, that no one pass through or return; and no oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes.

Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

“ Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.Because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my finest treasures into your temples,and have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their border.Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, and will return your repayment on your own head;and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they will sell them to the men of Sheba, to a faraway nation, for Yahweh has spoken it.”Proclaim this among the nations:“ Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men. Let all the warriors draw near. Let them come up.Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say,‘ I am strong.’Hurry and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves together.” Cause your mighty ones to come down there, Yahweh.“ Let the nations arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near, in the valley of decision.The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.“ So you will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then Jerusalem will be holy, and no strangers will pass through her any more.It will happen in that day, that the mountains will drop down sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the brooks of Judah will flow with waters, and a fountain will flow out from Yahweh’s house, and will water the valley of Shittim.Egypt will be a desolation, and Edom will be a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.I will cleanse their blood, that I have not cleansed: for Yahweh dwells in Zion.”

Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him,“ Why are you alone, and no man with you?”David said to Ahimelech the priest,“ The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me,‘ Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”The priest answered David, and said,“ I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”David answered the priest, and said to him,“ Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.David said to Ahimelech,“ Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”The priest said,“ Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it; for there is no other except that here.” David said,“ There is none like that. Give it to me.”David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.The servants of Achish said to him,“ Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying,‘ Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.Then Achish said to his servants,“ Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”

Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.Yahweh says:“ Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and will become an overflowing stream, and will overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and those who dwell therein. The men will cry, and all the inhabitants of the land will wail.At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers don’t look back to their children for feebleness of hands;because of the day that comes to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; for Yahweh will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.Baldness has come on Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nothing, the remnant of their valley: how long will you cut yourself?“‘ You sword of Yahweh, how long will it be before you are quiet? Put yourself back into your scabbard; rest, and be still.’“ How can you be quiet, since Yahweh has given you a command? Against Ashkelon, and against the seashore, there has he appointed it.”

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents.Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying,“ Let the Hebrews hear!”All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble( for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits.Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.Saul said,“ Bring the burnt offering to me here, and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering.It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.Samuel said,“ What have you done?” Saul said,“ Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;therefore I said,‘ Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.”Samuel said to Saul,“ You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.But now your kingdom will not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.”

Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and encamped in the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.The Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.A champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span went out.He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he wore a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.He had bronze shin armor on his legs, and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.The staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. His shield bearer went before him.He stood and cried to the armies of Israel, and said to them,“ Why have you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.”The Philistine said,“ I defy the armies of Israel today! Give me a man, that we may fight together!”When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul.The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul.Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.The Philistine came near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.Jesse said to David his son,“ Now take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers;and bring these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are doing, and bring back news.”Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went, as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the place of the wagons, as the army which was going out to the fight shouted for the battle.Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and said the same words; and David heard them.All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were terrified.The men of Israel said,“ Have you seen this man who has come up? He has surely come up to defy Israel. The king will give great riches to the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.”David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying,“ What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”The people answered him in this way, saying,“ So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said,“ Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you have come down that you might see the battle.”David said,“ What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”He turned away from him toward another, and spoke like that again; and the people answered him again the same way.When the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him.David said to Saul,“ Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”Saul said to David,“ You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”David said to Saul,“ Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock,I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and killed him.Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”David said,“ Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David,“ Go! Yahweh will be with you.”Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail.David strapped his sword on his clothing, and he tried to move; for he had not tested it. David said to Saul,“ I can’t go with these; for I have not tested them.” Then David took them off.He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His sling was in his hand; and he came near to the Philistine.The Philistine walked and came near to David; and the man who bore the shield went before him.When the Philistine looked around, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and had a good looking face.The Philistine said to David,“ Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods.The Philistine said to David,“ Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the field.”Then David said to the Philistine,“ You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of Yahweh of Armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.Today, Yahweh will deliver you into my hand. I will strike you, and take your head from off you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines today to the birds of the sky, and to the wild animals of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,and that all this assembly may know that Yahweh doesn’t save with sword and spear; for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into our hand.”When the Philistine arose, and walked and came near to meet David, David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine, and killed him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.Then David ran, stood over the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.The men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as Gai and to the gates of Ekron. The wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and to Ekron.The children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines and they plundered their camp.David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent.When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army,“ Abner, whose son is this youth?” Abner said,“ As your soul lives, O king, I can’t tell.”The king said,“ Inquire whose son the young man is!”As David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.Saul said to him,“ Whose son are you, you young man?” David answered,“ I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! Yahweh’s word is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant.The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for Yahweh, their God, will visit them, and restore them.

After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.David struck also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for one hundred chariots.When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians.Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took a great quantity of bronze.When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer,then Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. Joram brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze.King David also dedicated these to Yahweh, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued;of Syria, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, of Amalek, and of the plunder of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.David earned a reputation when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand men of the Syrians in the Valley of Salt.He put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people.Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder,Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, Seraiah was scribe,Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief ministers.

Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.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.”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.”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.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.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.He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.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.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.His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.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;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.”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.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?”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?”