Judges 13

Then the sons of Israel resumed to do evil in the eyes of God, so God gave them into the hand of the Philistines 40 years.

Now there was one man from Zorah, from the clan of the Danite, and his name {was} Manoah. And his wife {was} barren and had not given birth. \*

And the angel of God appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, please, you {are} barren and have not given birth, but you will conceive and bear a son.

And now, please be careful and do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}.

For behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And a razor will not go up on his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb. And he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” \*

And the woman came and said to her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance {was} like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him from where he {was}, and he did not declare his name to me.

And he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And now, do not drink wine or beer, and do not eat any unclean {thing}, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’” \*

And Manoah prayed to God and said, “Please, my Lord, the man of God whom you sent, please let him come again to us and teach us what we should do for the boy, the one to be born.”

And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. And she {was} abiding in the field, but Manoah her husband {was} not with her. \*

And the woman hurried and ran and declared to her husband and said to him, “Behold, the man has appeared to me who came to me on a day.”

And Manoah arose and went after his wife. And he came to the man and said to him, “{Are} you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I {am}.” \*

And Manoah said, “Now may your words come {to pass}. What will be the manner of the boy and his work?”

And the angel of God said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to this woman, let her be careful.

Of all that comes forth from the vine of wine, she shall not eat, and wine or beer, she shall not drink, and any unclean {thing}, she shall not eat. All that I have commanded her, she shall keep.” \*

And Manoah said to the angel of God, “Please let us detain you, and we will prepare to your face a kid of goats.”

And the angel of God said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your bread. But if you prepare a burnt offering, to God you shall offer it.” For Manoah did not know that he {was} the angel of God. \*

Then Manoah said to the angel of God, “What {is} your name, {that} when your words come {to pass}, then we may honor you?”

And the angel of God said to him, “Why do you ask this about my name, since it {is} wonderful?” \*

And Manoah took the kid of goats and the grain offering and offered {them} on a rock to God. And he was being wonderful in doing, and Manoah and his wife {were} watching.

For it happened, in the going up of the flame from the altar toward the heavens, that the angel of God went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife {were} watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. \*

And the angel of God did not resume again to appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he {was} the angel of God.

And Manoah said to his wife, “Dying, we shall die, for we have seen God.” \*

But his wife said to him, “If God desired to kill us, he would not have taken from our hand a burnt offering and a grain offering, and he would not have shown us all these {things}, and at {this} time he would not have made us hear {things} like this.” \*

And the woman bore a son, and she called his name Samson. And the boy grew, and God blessed him.

And the Spirit of God began to agitate him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and between Eshtaol. \*