Judges 13

1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.

And there was a certain man of Zor'ah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoach; and his wife was barren, and did not bear.

3 The LORD’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless; but you shall conceive and bear a son.

And there appeared an angel of the Lord unto the woman, and he said unto her, Behold, thou art barren, and hast not born; but thou wilt conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing;

And now do beware, and drink neither wine nor strong drink, and eat not any thing unclean.

5 for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

For, lo, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for a Nazarite of God shall the lad be from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name;

And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I asked him not whence he might be, and his name he did not tell me.

7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Do not eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

And he said unto me, Behold, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and now thou must drink neither wine nor strong drink, and not eat anything unclean; for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb until the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”

And Manoach entreated the Lord, and said, Hear me, O Lord, let the man of God, whom thou didst send, come again unto us, and instruct us what we shall do unto the child that is to be born.

9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah, her husband, was not with her.

And God hearkened to the voice of Manoach; and the angel of God came again unto the woman, as she was sitting in the field; and Manoach her husband was not with her.

10 The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”

And the woman made haste, and ran, and informed her husband; and she said unto him, Behold, there hath appeared unto me the man, that came unto me the other day.

11 Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” He said, “I am.”

And Manoach arose, and went after his wife; and he came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman? and he said, I am.

12 Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”

And Manoach said, If now thy words come to pass, what shall be [our] proceeding with the child, and what shall be done unto him?

13 The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.

And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Of all that I have said unto the woman must she beware.

14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”

Of any thing that cometh of the grape-vine she may not eat, and wine or strong drink she may not drink, and any thing unclean she may not eat: all that I commanded her must she observe.

15 Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”

And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, Let us, I pray thee, detain thee, and we will make a kid ready for thee.

16 The LORD’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that he was the LORD’s angel.

And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; but if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord; for Manoach knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

17 Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”

And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honor?

18 The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”

And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why is it that thou wilt ask after my name, seeing it is secret?

19 So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.

And Manoach took the kid and the meat-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto the Lord: and he did wondrously; and Manoach and his wife looked on.

20 For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

And it came to pass, when the flame went up from off the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoach and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 But the LORD’s angel did not appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the LORD’s angel.

And the angel of the Lord was no longer visible to Manoach and to his wife: then knew Manoach that he was an angel of the Lord.

22 Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”

And Manoach said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because a divine being have we seen.

23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he would not have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”

But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received from our hand a burnt-offering and a meat-offering, nor would he have let us see all these things, and at this time he would not have let us hear [such a thing] as this.

24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

25 The LORD’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him in Machaneh-dan between Zor'ah and Eshtaol.