1The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
1以色列人違背 神的惡果以色列人又行了耶和華看為惡的事，耶和華就把他們交在非利士人手中四十年。
2There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and didn’t bear.
2預告參孫出生那時有一個瑣拉人，是屬於但支派的，名叫瑪挪亞；他的妻子不能生育，沒有孩子。
3The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren, and don’t bear; but you shall conceive, and bear a son.
3耶和華的使者向那婦人顯現，對她說：“你向來不能生育，沒有孩子，現在你必要懷孕，生一個兒子。
4Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing:
4現在你要謹慎，清酒或烈酒都不可喝，各樣不潔的東西也不可吃。
5for, behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
5看哪！你必懷孕，生一個兒子；不可用剃刀剃他的頭，這孩子從在母腹開始就歸 神作拿細耳人；他必拯救以色列人脫離非利士人的手。”
6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome; and I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name:
6婦人就回去，告訴她的丈夫說：“有一位神人到我這裡來，他的容貌像 神使者的容貌，非常可畏，我沒有問他從哪裡來，他也沒有告訴我他的名字。
7but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
7他對我說：‘你必要懷孕，生一個兒子；現在清酒或烈酒你都不可喝，各樣不潔的東西你也不可吃，因為這孩子從在母腹開始，一直到死，都必歸耶和華作拿細耳人。’”
8Then Manoah entreated Yahweh, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you did send come again to us, and teach us what we shall do to the child who shall be born.”
8瑪挪亞就懇求耶和華，說：“啊，主啊，求你叫你派來的神人再到我們這裡吧！好指教我們要怎樣對待將要生下來的孩子。”
9God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.
9 神聽了瑪挪亞的聲音。婦人正坐在田間的時候， 神的使者又來到她那裡，她的丈夫瑪挪亞卻沒有與她在一起。
10The woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, “Behold, the man has appeared to me, who came to me that day.”
10婦人急忙跑去告訴丈夫，對他說：“那天到我這裡來的那人，又向我顯現了。”
11Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” He said, “I am.”
11瑪挪亞起來，跟著他的妻子出去，來到那人跟前，問他：“你就是向這個婦人說過話的人嗎？”他回答：“我就是。”
12Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be?”
12瑪挪亞說：“你的話應驗的時候，這孩子的生活方式怎樣？他要作甚麼呢？”
13The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
13耶和華的使者對瑪挪亞說：“我對婦人所說的一切話，她都要謹守。
14She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.”
14從葡萄樹所產的，她都不可吃；清酒或烈酒，她都不可喝；各樣不潔的東西，她也不可吃；我吩咐她的，她都要謹守。”
15Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please, let us detain you, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
15瑪挪亞對耶和華的使者說：“請留下，好讓我為你預備一隻山羊羔。”
16The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat of your bread; and if you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was the angel of Yahweh.
16耶和華的使者對瑪挪亞說：“你雖然要我留下，我卻不吃你的食物；如果你預備燔祭，就當獻給耶和華。”原來瑪挪亞還不知道他是耶和華的使者。
17Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
17瑪挪亞問耶和華的使者：“你叫甚麼名字？到你的話應驗的時候，我們好把尊榮歸你。”
18The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is wonderful?”
18耶和華的使者對他說：“你為甚麼問我的名字呢？我的名是奇妙的。”
19So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did a wonderful thing as Manoah and his wife looked on.
19瑪挪亞取了一隻山羊羔和素祭，在磐石上獻與那行奇事的耶和華；瑪挪亞和他的妻子一直在觀看。
20For it happened, when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, that the angel of Yahweh ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
20火燄從祭壇上往天升起的時候，耶和華的使者在祭壇上的火燄中也升上去了；瑪挪亞和他的妻子看見了，就俯伏在地。
21But the angel of Yahweh didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Yahweh.
21耶和華的使者沒有再向瑪挪亞和他的妻子顯現，那時瑪挪亞才知道他是耶和華的使者。
22Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
22瑪挪亞對他的妻子說：“我們必定要死，因為我們看見了 神。”
23But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, neither would he have shown us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these.”
23他的妻子卻對他說：“如果耶和華有意要殺我們，就必不從我們的手裡接納燔祭和素祭，也必不會把這一切事指示我們，更不會在這個時候向我們宣布這些事啊。”
24The woman bore a son, and named him Samson: and the child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
24後來那婦人生了一個兒子，她就給他起名叫參孫；孩子漸漸長大了，耶和華賜福給他。
25The Spirit of Yahweh began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
25在瑪哈尼．但（“瑪哈尼．但”意即“但的軍營”），就是在瑣拉和以實陶中間，耶和華的靈開始感動參孫。