One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 74
13Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H5414H3027H6430H705H8141 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.H259H376H6881H4940H1839H8034H4495H802H6135H3205 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.H4397H3068H7200H802H559H6135H3205H2029H3205H1121 4So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food.H8104H8354H3196H7941H398H2931 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."H2030H3205H1121H4177H5927H7218H5288H5139H430H990H2490H3467H3478H3027H6430 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.H802H935H559H376H559H376H430H935H4758H4758H4397H430H3966H3372H7592H5046H8034 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.'"H559H2030H3205H1121H7941H3196H8354H398H2932H5288H5139H430H990H3117H4194 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."H4495H6279H3068H559H994H136H4994H376H430H7971H935H3384H6213H5288H3205 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.H430H8085H6963H4495H4397H430H935H802H3427H7704H4495H376 10So she quickly ran and told her husband, "The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!"H802H4116H7323H5046H376H559H376H7200H935H3117 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."H4495H6965H3212H310H802H935H376H559H376H1696H802H559 12So Manoah asked him, "When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy's life and work?"H4495H559H1697H935H4941H5288H4639 13The angel of the LORD replied, "Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her.H4397H3068H559H4495H559H802H8104 14She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food."H398H3318H1612H8354H3196H7941H398H2932H6680H8104 15Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat."H4495H559H4397H3068H6113H6213H1423H5795H6440 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.)H4397H3068H559H4495H6113H398H3899H518H6213H5930H5927H3068H4495H3045H4397H3068 17Then Manoah asked the angel of the LORD, "What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you."H4495H559H4397H3068H8034H1697H935H3513 18"Why do you ask my name?" the angel of the LORD replied. "It is too wonderful for you to understand."H4397H3068H559H7592H8034H6383H6383 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.H4495H3947H1423H5795H4503H5927H6697H3068H6213H6381H4495H802H7200 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.H3851H5927H8064H4196H4397H3068H5927H3851H4196H4495H802H7200H5307H6440H776 21The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD,H4397H3068H3254H7200H4495H802H4495H3045H4397H3068 22and he said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God!"H4495H559H802H4191H4191H7200H430 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."H802H559H3863H3068H2654H4191H3947H5930H4503H3027H7200H6256H8085H2063 24When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up.H802H3205H1121H7121H8034H8123H5288H1431H3068H1288 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.H7307H3068H2490H6470H4264H1835H6881H847
14One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye.H8123H3381H8553H7200H802H8553H1323H6430 2When he returned home, he told his father and mother, "A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me."H5927H5046H1H517H559H7200H802H8553H1323H6430H3947H802 3His father and mother objected. "Isn't there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?" they asked. "Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me! She looks good to me."H1H517H559H369H802H1323H251H5971H1980H3947H802H6189H6430H8123H559H1H3947H3474H5869 4His father and mother didn't realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.H1H517H3045H3068H1245H8385H6430H6256H6430H4910H3478 5As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah.H3381H8123H3381H1H517H8553H935H3754H8553H3715H738H7580H7125 6At that moment the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion's jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn't tell his father or mother about it.H7307H3068H6743H8156H8156H1423H3972H3027H5046H1H517H6213 7When Samson arrived in Timnah, he talked with the woman and was very pleased with her.H3381H1696H802H3474H8123H3474H5869 8Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.H3117H7725H3947H5493H7200H4658H738H5712H1682H1706H1472H738 9He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn't tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.H7287H3709H3212H398H1980H1H517H5414H398H5046H7287H1706H1472H738 10As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men.H1H3381H802H8123H6213H4960H970H6213 11When the bride's parents saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions.H7200H3947H7970H4828 12Samson said to them, "Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.H8123H559H2330H2420H5046H5046H7651H3117H4960H4672H5414H7970H5466H7970H2487H899 13But if you can't solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing." "All right," they agreed, "let's hear your riddle."H3201H5046H5414H7970H5466H7970H2487H899H559H2330H2420H8085 14So he said: "Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet." Three days later they were still trying to figure it out.H559H398H3318H3978H5794H3318H4966H3201H7969H3117H5046H2420 15On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?"H7637H3117H559H8123H802H6601H376H5046H2420H8313H1H1004H784H7121H3423 16So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said, "You don't love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even given the answer to my father or mother," he replied. "Why should I tell you?"H8123H802H1058H559H8130H157H2330H2420H1121H5971H5046H559H5046H1H517H5046 17So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men.H1058H7651H3117H4960H1961H7637H3117H5046H6693H5046H2420H1121H5971 18So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson replied, "If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, you wouldn't have solved my riddle!"H582H5892H559H7637H3117H2775H935H4966H1706H5794H738H559H3884H2790H5697H4672H2420 19Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother.H7307H3068H6743H3381H831H5221H7970H376H3947H2488H5414H2487H5046H2420H639H2734H5927H1H1004 20So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding.H8123H802H4828H7462
15Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said, "I'm going into my wife's room to sleep with her," but her father wouldn't let him in.H3117H3117H2406H7105H8123H6485H802H1423H5795H559H935H802H2315H1H5414H935 2"I truly thought you must hate her," her father explained, "so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead."H1H559H559H559H8130H8130H5414H4828H6996H269H2896 3Samson said, "This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines."H8123H559H6471H5352H6430H6213H7451 4Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails.H8123H3212H3920H7969H3967H7776H3947H3940H6437H2180H2180H7760H259H3940H8432H8147H2180 5Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves.H1197H3940H784H7971H7054H6430H1197H1430H7054H3754H2132 6"Who did this?" the Philistines demanded. "Samson," was the reply, "because his father-in-law from Timnah gave Samson's wife to be married to his best man." So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death.H6430H559H6213H559H8123H2860H8554H3947H802H5414H4828H6430H5927H8313H1H784 7"Because you did this," Samson vowed, "I won't rest until I take my revenge on you!"H8123H559H518H6213H2063H5358H310H2308 8So he attacked the Philistines with great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Etam.H5221H7785H5921H3409H1419H4347H3381H3427H5585H5553H5862 9The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi.H6430H5927H2583H3063H5203H3896 10The men of Judah asked the Philistines, "Why are you attacking us?" The Philistines replied, "We've come to capture Samson. We've come to pay him back for what he did to us."H376H3063H559H5927H559H631H8123H5927H6213H6213 11So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, "Don't you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?" But Samson replied, "I only did to them what they did to me."H7969H505H376H3063H3381H5585H5553H5862H559H8123H3045H6430H4910H6213H559H6213H6213 12But the men of Judah told him, "We have come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines." "All right," Samson said. "But promise that you won't kill me yourselves."H559H3381H631H5414H3027H6430H8123H559H7650H6293 13"We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines," they replied. "We won't kill you." So they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.H559H559H631H631H5414H3027H4191H4191H631H8147H2319H5688H5927H5553 14As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.H935H3896H6430H7321H7125H7307H3068H6743H5688H2220H6593H1197H784H612H4549H3027 15Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.H4672H2961H3895H2543H7971H3027H3947H5221H505H376 16Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, I've piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I've killed a thousand men!"H8123H559H3895H2543H2565H2565H3895H2543H5221H505H376 17When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was named Jawbone Hill.H3615H1696H7993H3895H3027H7121H4725H7437 18Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, "You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?"H3966H6770H7121H3068H559H5414H1419H8668H3027H5650H4191H6772H5307H3027H6189 19So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place "The Spring of the One Who Cried Out," and it is still in Lehi to this day.H430H1234H4388H3895H3318H4325H8354H7307H7725H2421H7121H8034H5875H3896H3117 20Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the period when the Philistines dominated the land.H8199H3478H3117H6430H6242H8141
74[A psalm of Asaph.] O God, why have you rejected us so long? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?H4905H623H430H2186H5331H639H6225H6629H4830 2Remember that we are the people you chose long ago, the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession! And remember Jerusalem, your home here on earth.H2142H5712H7069H6924H7626H5159H1350H2022H6726H7931 3Walk through the awful ruins of the city; see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.H7311H6471H5331H4876H341H7489H6944 4There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries; there they set up their battle standards.H6887H7580H7130H4150H7760H226H226 5They swung their axes like woodcutters in a forest.H3045H935H4605H7134H5442H6086 6With axes and picks, they smashed the carved paneling.H1986H6603H3162H3781H3597 7They burned your sanctuary to the ground. They defiled the place that bears your name.H7971H784H4720H2490H4908H8034H776 8Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!” So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.H559H3820H3238H3162H8313H4150H410H776 9We no longer see your miraculous signs. All the prophets are gone, and no one can tell us when it will end.H7200H226H5030H3045H5704 10How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever?H430H6862H2778H341H5006H8034H5331 11Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.H7725H3027H3225H3615H7130H2436H2436 12You, O God, are my king from ages past, bringing salvation to the earth.H430H4428H6924H6466H3444H7130H776 13You split the sea by your strength and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.H6565H3220H5797H7665H7218H8577H4325 14You crushed the heads of Leviathan① and let the desert animals eat him./ ①The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literatureH7533H7218H3882H5414H3978H5971H6728 15You caused the springs and streams to gush forth, and you dried up rivers that never run dry.H1234H4599H5158H3001H386H5104 16Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun.H3117H3915H3559H3974H8121 17You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.H5324H1367H776H3335H7019H2779 18See how these enemies insult you, Lord. A foolish nation has dishonored your name.H2142H341H2778H3068H5036H5971H5006H8034 19Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves. Don’t forget your suffering people forever.H5414H5315H8449H2416H7911H2416H6041H5331 20Remember your covenant promises, for the land is full of darkness and violence!H5027H1285H4285H776H4390H4999H2555 21Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.H1790H7725H3637H6041H34H1984H8034 22Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long.H6965H430H7378H7379H2142H5036H2781H3117 23Don’t overlook what your enemies have said or their growing uproar.H7911H6963H6887H7588H6965H5927H8548
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