Judges 13

1 And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, —so Yahweh delivered them up into the hand of the Philistines, forty years.

The Israelites continued to do what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines to rule them for forty years.

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, and, his name, was Manoah; and, his wife, was barren, and had borne no child.

At that time there was a man named Manoah. He was from the tribe of Dan and lived in the town of Zorah. His wife couldn't conceive and had no children.

3 And the messenger of Yahweh appeared unto the woman, —and said unto her—Lo! I pray thee, thou, art barren, and hast borne no child, but thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son.

The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her, “It's true that you couldn't conceive, and have no children, but now you're going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.

4 Now, therefore, beware, I pray thee, and do not drink wine or strong drink, —nor eat anything unclean;

So then please be careful not to drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and don't eat anything unclean.

5 for lo! thou, art about to conceive and bear a son, and no, razor, shall come on his head, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be from his birth, —and, he, shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

You're going to become pregnant and have a son whose head a razor must never touch, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth. He will start the process of saving Israel from the Philistines.”

6 So the woman came in, and told her husband, saying, A man of God, came unto me, and, his, appearance, was as the appearance of the messenger of God, reverend exceedingly, —and I asked him not whence he was, and, his name, he told me not.

The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the Angel of God, really frightening. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't did not tell me his name.

7 But he said unto me, Lo! thou art about to conceive, and bear a son, —now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean, for, one separate unto God, shall the boy be, from his birth until the day of his death.

But he told me, ‘You're going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, and don't eat anything unclean. For the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from birth until the day of his death.’”

8 Then Manoah made entreaty unto Yahweh, and said: Pardon, O My Lord! the man of God whom thou didst send, I pray thee, let him come again unto us, that he may teach us what we are to do, unto the boy that is to be born.

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent us return to us to explain what we're supposed to do with the boy who is to be born.”

9 And God hearkened unto the voice of Manoah, —and the messenger of God came again unto the woman, as, she, was sitting in the field, Manoah her husband, not being with her.

God responded to Manoah's request, and the Angel of God returned to the woman while she was sitting out in the field. However, her husband Manoah was not with her.

10 So the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, —and said unto him, Lo! the man, hath appeared unto me, who came the other day unto me.

So she ran quickly to tell her husband, “Look! The man who appeared to me the other day has come back!”

11 Then Manoah arose, and followed his wife, —and came unto the man, and said unto him—Art, thou, the man that spake unto the wife? And he said—I am.

Manoah got up and went back with his wife, and asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife before?” “Yes I am,” he replied.

12 And Manoah said, Now, let thy words come to pass, —What shall be the rule for the boy, and his work?

So Manoah said, “May your promise come true! What shall be decided for the boy, and what is to be his vocation?”

13 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah, —Of all that I said unto the woman, let her beware.

“Make sure your wife is careful to follow everything I told her,” the angel of the Lord replied.

14 Of nothing that cometh of the vine, may she eat, nor wine nor strong drink, let her drink, nor, anything unclean, let her eat, —all that I commanded her, let her observe.

“She must not eat anything that comes from the vine or drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. She must not eat anything unclean. Your wife must follow everything I instructed her to do.”

15 And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh, —I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid.

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us keep you here while we prepare a meal of a young goat for you.”

16 But the messenger of Yahweh said unto Manoah—Though thou detain me, yet will I not eat of thy food, and, though thou make ready an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh, must thou cause it to ascend. For Manoah had not discerned that, the angel of Yahweh, he was.

The angel of the Lord replied, “I'll stay, but I won't eat your food. However, if you prepare a burnt offering, you can present it to the Lord.” (Manoah didn't know he was the angel of the Lord.)

17 Then said Manoah unto the messenger of Yahweh, What is thy name, —that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honour?

Manoah asked the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so when your promise comes true we may honor you?”

18 And the messenger of Yahweh said unto him, Wherefore is it, that thou shouldst ask after my name, —seeing that, it, is Wonderful?

“Why do you ask this?” the angel of the Lord responded. “My name is beyond comprehension.”

19 So Manoah took the kid, and the meal-offering, and caused them to ascend upon the rock unto Yahweh, who was about to do, wondrously, while Manoah and his wife were looking on.

Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and presented them on a rock to the Lord. As Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did something amazing.

20 And it came to pass, when the flame ascended from off the altar, towards the heavens, that the messenger of Yahweh ascended in the flame of the altar, —while Manoah and his wife were looking on. Then fell they on their faces, to the earth.

As the flame from the altar blazed up into the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Manoah and his wife saw what happened and fell with their faces to the ground.

21 And the messenger of Yahweh did no more appear unto Manoah or unto his wife. Then, Manoah knew that, the messenger of Yahweh, he was.

The angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again, and Manoah realized that he was the angel of the Lord.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall, die, —for, upon God, have we looked.

“We're definitely going to die,” he told his wife, “for we have seen God!”

23 But his wife said unto him, If Yahweh had been pleased to put us to death, he would not have received at our hand, an ascending-sacrifice and a meal-offering, nor would he have shewed us all these things, —and, at such a time, have let us hear the like of this!

But his wife replied, “If the Lord had wanted to kill us he wouldn't have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn't have shown us all these things, and he wouldn't have come now and announced this to us.”

24 So the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson, —and the boy grew, and Yahweh blessed him.

She gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

25 And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan, —between Zorah and Eshtaol.

The Spirit of the Lord began to prompt him at Mahaneh Dan, a place between Zorah and Eshtaol.