Samson and his father went to make the final arrangements. Along the way, Samson stepped off the path by himself. Suddenly a young lion attacked him. The Spirit of God filled Samson and he grabbed the lion and ripped him apart as if it were a small animal. Afterwards, he went back to his parents but didn’t tell them about the lion. They continued their trip and together finalized the wedding plans.

When the big day came, Samson and his parents went back along the same route. When they got to a place where he killed the lion, Samson once again stepped aside without his parents.

He found the dead lion and was amazed to see that honeybees had made a hive in it. He reached in and grabbed some honey and ate it. He then took some to his parents, but didn’t tell them where he had gotten it.

Thirty young Philistine men came to the wedding party, which lasted seven days. Samson said, “I have a riddle. If you can figure it out during these seven days, I’ll give you thirty changes of clothes, including undergarments. But if you can’t figure it out, you must give me thirty changes of clothes, including undergarments.”

They said, “We agree. Tell us the riddle.”

He said, “From the eater, came something to eat. From the strong came something sweet.”

For three days the young men worked on the riddle. On the fourth day, they went to Samson’s wife and said, “You brought us here to rob us. We won’t stand for it. You’re his wife. Get the answer to his riddle, or we will burn down everything that belongs to your father.”

So she went to Samson and asked him for its meaning. He said, “I’m not going to tell you. I haven’t even told my parents.” 

She started to cry. “You don’t love me.” She kept crying and begging until he couldn’t stand it anymore. On the last day of the feast, he told her the meaning of the riddle. She immediately ran and told the men.

That night, just before the time was up, the men said to Samson, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”

He immediately knew what they had done. He said, “You wouldn’t have been able to plow that field without my young cow.”

He went to a Philistine town nearby and God gave him the power to kill thirty men. He took their clothes and gave them to the wedding guests. He was so angry that he went back to his father’s house without his wife.