Judges 13
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1Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.1Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.
2A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth.2In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.
3The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, "You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.3The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.
4Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.4So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food.
5You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines."5You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
6Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.6The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name.
7But he said to me, 'You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.'"7But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’”
8Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: "Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born."8Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, saying, “Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born.”
9God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.9God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her.
10The woman hurried to tell her husband, "He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day!"10So she quickly ran and told her husband, “The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!”
11Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, "Are you the man who talked to my wife?" "I am," he said.11Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?” “Yes,” he replied, “I am.”
12So Manoah asked him, "When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy's life and work?"12So Manoah asked him, “When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?”
13The angel of the LORD answered, "Your wife must do all that I have told her.13The angel of the LORD replied, “Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her.
14She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her."14She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.”
15Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you."15Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.”
16The angel of the LORD replied, "Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD." (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)16“I will stay,” the angel of the LORD replied, “but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the LORD.” (Manoah didn’t realize it was the angel of the LORD.)
17Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?"17Then Manoah asked the angel of the LORD, “What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you.”
18He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding."18“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the LORD replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.”
19Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched:19Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did an amazing thing.
20As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.20As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground.
21When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD.21The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD,
22"We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"22and he said to his wife, “We will certainly die, for we have seen God!”
23But his wife answered, "If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this."23But his wife said, “If the LORD were going to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn’t have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles.”
24The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him,24When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up.
25and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Judges 12
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