The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Judges 13

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

Judges chapter 13 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of HaShem; and HaShem delivered them into the hand of the Philistines…” — the complete text of all 25 verses is below, free to read online.

1And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of HaShem; and HaShem delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bore not.

3And the angel of HaShem appeared unto the woman, and said unto her: 'Behold now, thou art barren, and hast not borne; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing.

5For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto G-d from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.'

6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying: 'A man of G-d came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of G-d, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name;

7but he said unto me: Behold, thou shalt 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 unto G-d from the womb to the day of his death.'

8Then Manoah entreated HaShem, and said: 'Oh, HaShem, I pray Thee, let the man of G-d whom Thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.'

9And G-d hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of G-d came again unto the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him: 'Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me that day.'

11And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him: 'Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman?' And he said: 'I am.'

12And Manoah said: 'Now when thy word cometh to pass, what shall be the rule for the child, and what shall be done with him?'

13And the angel of HaShem said unto Manoah: 'Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

14She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the grapevine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe.'

15And Manoah said unto the angel of HaShem: 'I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.'

16And the angel of HaShem said unto Manoah: 'Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto HaShem.' For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of HaShem.

17And Manoah said unto the angel of HaShem: 'What is thy name, that when thy words come to pass we may do thee honour?'

18And the angel of HaShem said unto him: 'Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is hidden?'

19So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto HaShem; and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of HaShem ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21But the angel of HaShem did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of HaShem.

22And Manoah said unto his wife: 'We shall surely die, because we have seen G-d.'

23But his wife said unto him: 'If HaShem were pleased to kill us, He would not 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.'

24And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and HaShem blessed him.

25And the spirit of HaShem began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

25 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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