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以色列人违背 神的恶果
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预告参孙出生那时有一个琐拉人，是属于但支派的，名叫玛挪亚；他的妻子不能生育，没有孩子。
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耶和华的使者向那妇人显现，对她说：“你向来不能生育，没有孩子，现在你必要怀孕，生一个儿子。
4Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing:
4现在你要谨慎，清酒或烈酒都不可喝，各样不洁的东西也不可吃。
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！你必怀孕，生一个儿子；不可用剃刀剃他的头，这孩子从在母腹开始就归 神作拿细耳人；他必拯救以色列人脱离非利士人的手。”
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妇人就回去，告诉她的丈夫说：“有一位神人到我这里来，他的容貌像 神使者的容貌，非常可畏，我没有问他从哪里来，他也没有告诉我他的名字。
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他对我说：‘你必要怀孕，生一个儿子；现在清酒或烈酒你都不可喝，各样不洁的东西你也不可吃，因为这孩子从在母腹开始，一直到死，都必归耶和华作拿细耳人。’”
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玛挪亚就恳求耶和华，说：“啊，主啊，求你叫你派来的神人再到我们这里吧！好指教我们要怎样对待将要生下来的孩子。”
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 神听了玛挪亚的声音。妇人正坐在田间的时候， 神的使者又来到她那里，她的丈夫玛挪亚却没有与她在一起。
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妇人急忙跑去告诉丈夫，对他说：“那天到我这里来的那人，又向我显现了。”
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玛挪亚起来，跟着他的妻子出去，来到那人跟前，问他：“你就是向这个妇人说过话的人吗？”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玛挪亚说：“你的话应验的时候，这孩子的生活方式怎样？他要作什么呢？”
13The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
13耶和华的使者对玛挪亚说：“我对妇人所说的一切话，她都要谨守。
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从葡萄树所产的，她都不可吃；清酒或烈酒，她都不可喝；各样不洁的东西，她也不可吃；我吩咐她的，她都要谨守。”
15Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please, let us detain you, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
15玛挪亚对耶和华的使者说：“请留下，好让我为你预备一只山羊羔。”
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耶和华的使者对玛挪亚说：“你虽然要我留下，我却不吃你的食物；如果你预备燔祭，就当献给耶和华。”原来玛挪亚还不知道他是耶和华的使者。
17Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
17玛挪亚问耶和华的使者：“你叫什么名字？到你的话应验的时候，我们好把尊荣归你。”
18The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is wonderful?”
18耶和华的使者对他说：“你为什么问我的名字呢？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玛挪亚取了一只山羊羔和素祭，在磐石上献与那行奇事的耶和华；玛挪亚和他的妻子一直在观看。
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火焰从祭坛上往天升起的时候，耶和华的使者在祭坛上的火焰中也升上去了；玛挪亚和他的妻子看见了，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耶和华的使者没有再向玛挪亚和他的妻子显现，那时玛挪亚才知道他是耶和华的使者。
22Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
22玛挪亚对他的妻子说：“我们必定要死，因为我们看见了 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他的妻子却对他说：“如果耶和华有意要杀我们，就必不从我们的手里接纳燔祭和素祭，也必不会把这一切事指示我们，更不会在这个时候向我们宣布这些事啊。”
24The woman bore a son, and named him Samson: and the child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
24后来那妇人生了一个儿子，她就给他起名叫参孙；孩子渐渐长大了，耶和华赐福给他。
25The Spirit of Yahweh began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
25在玛哈尼．但（“玛哈尼．但”意即“但的军营”），就是在琐拉和以实陶中间，耶和华的灵开始感动参孙。