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.
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.
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.
4 Now
therefore please
beware and drink
no wine nor strong
drink, and don’t eat
any unclean thing;
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.”
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 didn’t ask him
where he was
from, neither did
he tell me
his name;
7 but
he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall
conceive and bear
a son; and
now drink no
wine nor strong
drink. Don’t eat any
unclean thing, for
the child shall
be a Nazirite
to God from
the womb to 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.”
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, wasn’t 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.”
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.”
12 Manoah
said, “Now let
your words happen.
What shall the
child’s way of
life and mission
be?”
13 The
LORD’s angel said
to Manoah, “Of
all that I said
to the woman let
her 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.”
15 Manoah said
to the LORD’s
angel, “Please stay
with us, that
we may make
a young goat
ready for you.”
16 The
LORD’s angel said
to Manoah, “Though
you detain me,
I won’t eat your
bread. If you
will prepare a
burnt offering,
you must offer
it to the
LORD.” For
Manoah didn’t know
that he was
the LORD’s angel.
17 Manoah
said to the
LORD’s angel, “What
is your name,
that when your
words happen, we
may honor you?”
18 The
LORD’s angel said
to him, “Why
do you ask
about my name,
since it is incomprehensible?”
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.
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.
21 But
the LORD’s
angel didn’t appear
to Manoah or
to his wife any
more. Then Manoah
knew that he
was the LORD’s
angel.
22 Manoah said
to his wife, “We
shall surely die,
because we have
seen God.”
23 But
his wife said to
him, “If the
LORD were pleased
to kill us,
he wouldn’t have
received a burnt
offering and a
meal offering at
our hand, and
he wouldn’t have
shown us all
these things, nor
would he have
told us such
things as these
at this time.”
24 The
woman bore a
son and named
him Samson. The
child grew, and
the LORD blessed
him.
25 The
LORD’s Spirit
began to move him
in Mahaneh Dan,
between Zorah
and Eshtaol.