Samson, Di Lion and Di Riddle

One roar tear di air for inside di vineyards. One young lion dey rush come. And di young man wey dey im front no hold anything for hand. Nothing at all.

Samson don grow. Na di son of promise, wey God set apart from birth, wey dem never cut im hair. But e also get strong head. One day e go down to di town of Timnah and see one young Philistine woman. E come back house tell im parents, Get her for me make she be my wife. Dis one pain dem. Woman no dey among our own relatives, or among all our people? You must go take wife from di Philistines wey no circumcise? Wey no circumcise na di way dem dey take talk say: people wey no dey inside God covenant. Samson no gree shift. Get her for me. She good for my eye. Then di book of Judges add something wey surprise. Im parents no know say dis one come from Di Lord, wey dey find chance to face di Philistines. Even through Samson strong head, God dey work.

So Samson and im parents start journey go Timnah. Somewhere inside di vineyards, Samson dey alone, and one young lion rush come meet am dey roar. Then di Spirit of Di Lord come upon Samson with power. With im bare hands e tear di lion apart, easy like say na small goat. And see di strange part. E no tell im papa or im mama wetin e do. E continue go di town, talk with di young woman, and she please am.

After some time, e go back to marry her. For road, e turn aside to look di dead body of di lion. Bees don build hive inside am, and honey dey there. Samson scoop some put for im hands and e dey chop am as e dey waka. E catch up with im parents and give dem some too. But e no tell dem where di honey come from.

Then di wedding feast come, seven days long, as di custom be. Di Philistines give am thirty young men as companions. Samson get one idea. Make I tell una one riddle. If una fit solve am inside di seven days of di feast, I go give una thirty linen clothes and thirty sets of fine clothes. If una no fit, una go give me dem. Tell us your riddle. From di one wey dey chop, chop come out. From di strong one, sweet thing come out. Three days pass. Dem no get any idea. How dem go take know? Nobody apart from Samson know about di lion. So di companions go meet im bride, dem threaten her and her papa family. Get di answer from am, or else. She cry for Samson front. You hate me! You no love me at all. You give my people riddle and you never even tell me di answer. I never even tell my own papa and mama, e talk. But she continue dey cry, day after day, and for di seventh day e give up come tell her. And she tell her people.

Just before sun go down for di last day, di men come meet Samson, dem dey happy with demself. Wetin sweet pass honey? Wetin strong pass lion? Samson know one time wetin happen. If una no plough with my young cow, una no for solve my riddle. Then di Spirit of Di Lord come upon am again. E go down to di Philistine city of Ashkelon, strike down thirty men there, and take dia clothes to pay di bet. As vex dey burn am, e go back im papa house. And dem give im bride to one of im wedding companions instead. Di wedding end in ruin. Samson get power, but e no get wisdom. And im long struggle with di Philistines don start.

Who di Philistines be? Dem be people wey just come di land, compared to others. Around di twelfth century before Christ, dem settle for di southern coast of Canaan, part of one wave of people wey dey travel by sea, wey also trouble Egypt. Pharaoh Ramesses di Third carve im battles against dis Sea Peoples for di walls of im temple for Medinet Habu. Di Philistines build five main cities: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. Archaeologists fit recognise dia settlements by dia special pottery, wey dem often paint with red and black.

Samson, di lion and di riddle. You go find am for Judges, chapter fourteen. Samson get strength wey come from God, but again and again e do anything wey good for im own eye. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which gifts God don give you, and you dey use dem di way wey God want, or only your own way?