Judges 13

God Sets Up Samson’s Birth

1 Once again, Israel started wilding, doing evil in God’s eyes. So the Lord let the Philistines run them for 40 years.

God Pulls Up on Manoah’s Wife

2 There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the tribe of Dan. His wife could not have kids, she was barren.

3 But the angel of the Lord pulled up on her and said, “Listen, I know you cannot have kids, but you are about to get pregnant and have a son.”

4 “But you must be careful, do not drink any wine, no strong liquor, and do not eat anything unclean.”

5 “You are about to have a son who is set apart for God, a Nazirite. No razor can touch his head. He is going to start saving Israel from the Philistines.”

Manoah Hears the News

6 She ran and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, he looked like an angel, glowing like crazy. I did not ask where he was from, and he did not tell me.”

7 “But he said I am going to have a baby boy, and I cannot drink wine, liquor, or eat anything unclean because this child is set apart for God from the womb.”

Manoah Prays for Guidance

8 Manoah prayed, “Lord, send that man back to us so we can know how to raise this child right.”

9 God heard his prayer. The angel came back to the wife while she was in the field, Manoah was not with her.

10 She ran quick to tell her husband, “That same man is back!”

11 Manoah got up and followed her. He asked the man, “Are you the one who talked to my wife?” He said, “Yeah, that is me.”

12 Manoah asked, “So what is the plan for the boy, What rules we must follow?”

13 The angel told him, “Your wife must follow everything I told her.”

14 “She cannot eat anything that comes from grapes, cannot drink wine or liquor, and cannot eat anything unclean. She must do everything I commanded.

Manoah Offers Hospitality

15 Manoah told the angel, “Stay a little while, let us cook for you.”

16 The angel said, “Even if I stay, I am not eating your food. But if you want to do something, offer it up to the Lord.” (Manoah did not know this was the angel of the Lord.)

17 Manoah asked, “What is your name, So when your words come true, we can honor you.”

18 The angel said, “Why are you asking my name, It is too wonderful for you to understand.”

God Shows Out

19 Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and put it on a rock for the Lord. Then the angel did something crazy, right in front of them.

20 As the flame from the altar went up to heaven, the angel of the Lord went up in the fire! Manoah and his wife dropped straight to the ground, face down.

21 The angel did not come back, Manoah realized it was the angel of the Lord.

22 Manoah said, “We are dead! We just saw God!”

23 But his wife said, “If God wanted to kill us, He would not have accepted our offering or showed us all this.”

Samson Is Born

24 The woman had a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him heavy.

25 And the Spirit of the Lord started working in him while he was in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.