The Birth of Samson

1And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah gave them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2And there was a certain man of Zoreah, of the family of the Danites, and his name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and did not bear. 3And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, thou art barren and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. 4And now beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. 5For lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head; for the boy shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I did not ask him whence he was, neither did he tell me his name. 7And he said to me, Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and now drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not anything unclean; for the boy shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb to the day of his death.

8Then Manoah prayed to Jehovah, and said, Ah Lord! let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, I pray thee, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the Angel of God came again to the woman whilst she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10Then the woman hasted and ran, and informed her husband, and said to him, Behold, the man has appeared to me, that came to me that day. 11And Manoah rose up and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, Art thou the man that didst speak to the woman? And he said, I am. 12And Manoah said, When thy words then come to pass, what shall be the child's manner and his doing? 13And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware: 14she shall not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither shall she drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean: all that I commanded her shall she observe.

15And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, and we will make ready a kid of the goats for thee. 16And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though thou shouldest detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou shalt offer it up to Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the Angel of Jehovah. 17And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy word cometh to pass we may do thee honour? 18And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, How is it that thou askest after my name, seeing it is wonderful? 19Then Manoah took the kid and the oblation, and offered it up to Jehovah upon the rock. And he did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20And it came to pass, as the flame went up from off the altar towards the heavens, that the Angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoah and his wife looked on, and fell on their faces to the ground.

21And the Angel of Jehovah appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that it was the Angel of Jehovah. 22And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and an oblation at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would he at this time have told us [such things] as these.

24And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. 25And the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at Mahaneh-Dan, between Zoreah and Eshtaol.