Shofetim 13

1. And the Bnei Yisroel did harah again in the sight of Hashem; and Hashem delivered them into the yad Pelishtim arba’im shanah.

2. And there was a certain ish from Tzorah, of the mishpakhat HaDanai, whose shem was Manoach; and his isha was barren and bore not.

3. And the Malach Hashem appeared unto the isha, and said unto her, Hinei now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear ben.

4. Now therefore be shomer and drink not yayin nor shekhar (strong drink), and eat not kol tameh;

5. For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear ben; and no morah (razor) shall come on his rosh; for the na’ar shall be a Nazir Elohim from the beten (womb); and he shall begin to save Yisroel from the yad Pelishtim.

6. Then the isha came and told her ish, saying, An Ish HaElohim came unto me, and his appearance was like the appearance of a Malach HaElohim, norah me’od; but I asked him not where he came from, neither told he me shmo;

7. But he said unto me, See thou shalt conceive, and bear ben; and now drink no yayin nor shekhar, neither eat any tumah; for the na’ar shall be Nazir Elohim from the beten to the yom moto (day of his death).

8. Then Manoach prayed entreating Hashem, and said, O Adonoi, let the Ish HaElohim which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we must do unto the na’ar that shall be born.

9. And HaElohim paid heed to the kol Manoach; and the Malach HaElohim came again unto the isha as she sat in the sadeh; but Manoach her ish was not with her.

10. And the isha made haste, and ran, and told her ish, and said unto him, Hinei, the ish hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

11. And Manoach arose, and went after his isha, and came to the ish, and said unto him, Art thou the ish that didst speak unto the isha? And he said, I am.

12. And Manoach said, Now let thy devar come to pass. How shall be the mishpat hana’ar (proper treatment of the child), and his ma’aseh (work, [life’s] work)?

13. And the Malach Hashem said unto Manoach, Of all that I said unto the isha let her be shomer (beware, guard, keep watch over).

14. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the gefen, neither let her drink yayin or shekhar, nor eat any tumah; all that I commanded her let her be shomer to do.

15. And Manoach said unto the Malach Hashem, Now, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a young goat for thee.

16. And the Malach Hashem said unto Manoach, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy lechem; and if thou wilt offer an olah (burnt offering), thou must offer it unto Hashem. For Manoach knew not that he was Malach Hashem.

17. And Manoach said unto Malach Hashem, Mi shmehchah? That when thy devar come to pass we may do thee honor?

18. And the Malach Hashem said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my shem, seeing it is FELI (supremely wonderful [see Isa 9:5(6); Ex 15:11])?

19. So Manoach took a young goat with a minchah, and offered it upon the tzur unto Hashem; and wonderously did He act; and Manoach and his wife looked on.

20. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward Shomayim from off the Mizbe’ach, that the Malach Hashem ascended in the flame of the Mizbe’ach. And Manoach and his wife looked on, and fell on their faces to the ground [cf Ac 1:9].

21. But the Malach Hashem did no more appear to Manoach and to his isha. Then Manoach knew that He was the Malach Hashem.

22. And Manoach said unto his isha, We shall surely die, because we have seen Elohim.

23. But his isha said unto him, If Hashem were pleased to kill us, He would not have received an olah (burnt offering) and a minchah from yadenu (our hands), neither would He have showed us all these things, nor at this time would have told us such things as these.

24. And the isha bore ben, and called shmo Shimshon; and the na’ar grew, and Hashem blessed him.

25. And the Ruach Hashem began to impel him at times in Machaneh Dan between Tzorah and Eshtaol.