1. Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.
2. When he got home, he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife.”
3. But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is the right one for me.”
4. Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).
5. Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him.
6. The Lord’s spirit empowered him and he tore the lion in two with his bare hands as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7. Samson continued on down to Timnah and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one.
8. Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey.
9. He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass.
10. Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.
11. When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company.