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[288]
And when he was going another time to the damsel, he lit upon a swarm
of bees making their combs in the breast of that lion; and taking three
honey-combs away, he gave them, together with the rest of his presents,
to the damsel. Now the people of Timhath, out of a dread of the young man's
strength, gave him during the time of the wedding-feast (for he then feasted
them all) thirty of the most stout of their youth, in pretense to be his
companions, but in reality to be a guard upon him, that he might not attempt
to give them any disturbance. Now as they were drinking merrily and playing,
Samson said, as was usual at such times, "Come, if I propose you a riddle,
and you can expound it in these seven days' thee, I will give you every
one a linen shirt and a garment, as the reward of your wisdom." So
they being very ambitious to obtain the glory of wisdom, together with
the gains, desired him to propose his riddle. He, "That a devourer
produced sweet food out of itself, though itself were very disagreeable."
And when they were not able, in three days' time, to find out the meaning
of the riddle, they desired the damsel to discover it by the means of her
husband, and tell it them; and they threatened to burn her if she did not
tell it them. So when the damsel entreated Samson to tell it her, he at
first refused to do it; but when she lay hard at him, and fell into tears,
and made his refusal to tell it a sign of his unkindness to her, he informed
her of his slaughter of a lion, and how he found bees in his breast, and
carried away three honey-combs, and brought them to her. Thus he, suspecting
nothing of deceit, informed her of all, and she revealed it to those that
desired to know it. Then on the seventh day, whereon they were to expound
the riddle proposed to them, they met together before sun-setting, and
said, "Nothing is more disagreeable than a lion to those that light
on it, and nothing is sweeter than honey to those that make use of it."
To which Samson made this rejoinder: "Nothing is more deceitful than
a woman for such was the person that discovered my interpretation to you."
Accordingly he gave them the presents he had promised them, making such
Askelonites as met him upon the road his prey, who were themselves Philistines
also. But he divorced this his wife; and the girl despised his anger, and
was married to his companion, who made the former match between them.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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