Judges 14:18 
Context| NET © | On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, 1 you would not have solved my riddle!” |
| NIV © | Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle." |
| NASB © | So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have found out my riddle." |
| NLT © | So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson replied, "If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have found the answer to my riddle!" |
| MSG © | The men of the town came to him on the seventh day, just before sunset and said, What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? And Samson said, If you hadn't plowed with my heifer, You wouldn't have found out my riddle. |
| BBE © | Then on the seventh day, before he went into the bride’s room, the men of the town said to him, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not been ploughing with my cow you would not have got the answer to my question. |
| NRSV © | The men of the town said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle." |
| NKJV © | So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down: "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said to them: "If you had not plowed with my heifer, You would not have solved my riddle!" |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | So the men <0376> of the city <05892> said <0559> to him on the seventh <07637> day <03117> before <02962> the sun <02775> went <0935> down, "What <04100> is sweeter <04966> than <04480> honey <01706> ? And what <04100> is stronger <05794> than <04480> a lion <0738> ?" And he said <0559> to them, "If <03884> you had not plowed <02790> with my heifer <05697> , You would not have found <04672> out my riddle ."<02420> |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | On the seventh <07637> day <03117> , before <02962> the sun <02775> set <0935> , the men <0376> of the city <05892> said <0559> to him, “What <04100> is sweeter <04966> than honey <01706> ? What <04100> is stronger <05794> than a lion <0738> ?” He said <0559> to them, “If <03884> you had not plowed <02790> with my heifer <05697> , you would not <03808> have <04672> solved my riddle !”<02420> |
| NET © | On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, 1 you would not have solved my riddle!” |
| NET © Notes |
1 sn Plowed with my heifer. This statement emphasizes that the Philistines had utilized a source of information which should have been off-limits to them. Heifers were used in plowing (Hos 10:11), but one typically used one’s own farm animals, not another man’s. |
