Chapter 13

And the children of Israel did² evil again⁵⁵ in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered⁴ them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name [was] Manoah; and his wife [was] barren, and bare¹ not.

And the angel of the LORD appeared¹¹ unto the woman, and said⁴ unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren, and bearest¹ not: but thou shalt conceive,¹ and bear¹ a son.

Now therefore beware,¹⁰ I pray thee, and drink⁴ not wine nor strong drink, and eat⁴ not any unclean [thing]:

For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear⁶ a son; and no razor shall come⁴ on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin⁵⁵ to deliver⁵³ Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the woman came⁴ and told⁴ her husband, saying,² A man of God came¹ unto me, and his countenance [was] like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible:¹² but I asked¹ him not whence he [was], neither told⁵² he me his name:

But he said⁴ unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear⁶ a son; and now drink⁴ no wine nor strong drink, neither eat⁴ any unclean [thing]: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

Then Manoah intreated⁴ the LORD, and said,⁴ O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send¹ come⁴ again unto us, and teach⁵⁵ us what we shall do⁴ unto the child that shall be born.²⁷

And God hearkened⁴ to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came⁴ again unto the woman as she sat⁶ in the field: but Manoah her husband [was] not with her.

And the woman made haste,¹⁷ and ran,⁴ and shewed⁵⁵ her husband, and said⁴ unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared⁸ unto me, that came¹ unto me the [other] day.

And Manoah arose,⁴ and went⁴ after his wife, and came⁴ to the man, and said⁴ unto him, [Art] thou the man that spakest¹⁴ unto the woman? And he said,⁴ I [am].

And Manoah said,⁴ Now let thy words come to pass.⁴ How shall we order the child, and [how] shall we do unto him?

And the angel of the LORD said⁴ unto Manoah, Of all that I said¹ unto the woman let her beware.¹¹

She may not eat⁴ of any [thing] that cometh⁴ of the vine, ³¹⁹⁶ neither let her drink⁴ wine or strong drink, nor eat⁴ any unclean [thing]: all that I commanded¹⁴ her let her observe.⁴

And Manoah said⁴ unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain⁴ thee, until we shall have made ready⁴ a kid ⁵⁷⁹⁵ for thee.

And the angel of the LORD said⁴ unto Manoah, Though thou detain⁴ me, I will not eat⁴ of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer⁴ a burnt offering, thou must offer⁵⁵ it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew¹ not that he [was] an angel of the LORD.

And Manoah said⁴ unto the angel of the LORD, What [is] thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass⁴ we may do thee honour?¹⁴

And the angel of the LORD said⁴ unto him, Why askest⁴ thou thus after my name, seeing it [is] secret? ⁶³⁸³

So Manoah took⁴ a kid ⁵⁷⁹⁵ with a meat offering, and offered⁴ [it] upon a rock unto the LORD: and [the angel] did² wondrously;⁵⁶ and Manoah and his wife looked on.⁶

For it came to pass, when the flame went up² toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended⁴ in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on⁶ [it], and fell on⁴ their faces to the ground.

But the angel of the LORD did no more¹ appear⁹ to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew¹ that he [was] an angel of the LORD.

And Manoah said⁴ unto his wife, We shall surely² die,⁴ because we have seen¹ God.

But his wife said⁴ unto him, If the LORD were pleased¹ to kill⁵³ us, he would not have received¹ a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed⁵² us all these [things], nor would as at this time have told⁵² us [such things] as these.

And the woman bare⁴ a son, and called⁴ his name Samson: and the child grew,⁴ and the LORD blessed¹⁷ him.

And the Spirit of the LORD began⁵⁵ to move² him at times in the camp of Dan ^{1835 4265} between Zorah and Eshtaol.