Judges · Chapter 13

[ edit] And eft þe ſones of Yrael diden yuel in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, þe which took hem in to þe hoondis of þe Philiſteyns fourti ȝeer. And þere was a maner man of Saraa, and of þe lynage of Dan, Manue bi name, hauynge a wijf bareyn. To whom aperyde þe aungel of þe Lord, and ſeide to hyre, Bareyn þou art, and wiþ out free children; but þou ſhalt conſeyue, and bere a ſone. Be war þanne, leſt þou drynke wyn and ſiþer, ne eny þing vnclene þou eete; for þou ſhalt conſeyue, and bere a ſone, whos heed ſhal no raſure towche; forſoþe he ſhal be a Nazare of God from his childhod, and fro þe wombe of þe moder; and he ſhal bygynne to delyuer Yrael fro þe hoond of þe Philiſtiens.

Þe which, whanne ſhe was comen to hire houſbond, ſeide to hym, A man of God cam to me, hauynge an aungelis chere, feerful wel myche; whom whanne Y hadde aſkid, who he was, and whennus he was comen, and what name he were clepid, he wolde not to me ſeye; but þus he anſwerde, Loo! þou ſhalt conſeyue, and bere a ſone; be war þat þou drynke no wyn ne ſiþer, ne eete eny þing vnclene; forſoþe he ſhal be a Nazare child of þe Lord, fro his ȝonȝþ and fro þe wombe of þe moder into þe day of his deeþ. And ſo Manue preyede þe Lord, and ſeiþ, Y biſeche, Lord, þat þe man of God, þe whiche þou ſentiſt, com eft, and teche vs, what we owen to doo of þe child, þat is to be born.

And þe Lord herde Manue preiynge; and eft aperide þe aungel of þe Lord to his wijf ſittynge in þe feeld; forſoþe Manue hir houſboond was not wiþ hir. Þe which, whanne ſhe hadde ſeen þe aungel, hiede, and ranne to hir man, and tolde to hym, ſeiynge, Loo! þe man aperide to me, whom before I ſawȝ. Þe which roos, and folewide his wijf; and comynge to þe man he ſeide to hym, Art þow þe which ſpak to þe womman? And he anſwerde, Y am. To whom Manue, Whanne, he ſeiþ, þi word were fulfillid, what wolt þou, þat þe child doo, or fro what þing ſhal he kepe hym ſilf? And þe aungel of þe Lord ſeide to Manue, Fro alle þingis þat Y ſpak to þi wijf, abſteine he hym.

And what euer þing growiþ of þe vyn eete he not, wyn and ſiþir drynk he not, noon vnclene þing eete he; and þat Y haue comaundid to hym, fulfille he and kepe. And ſo Manue ſeide to þe aungel of þe Lord, Y biſeche þee, þat þou aſſente to my preiers, and we make to þee a kidde of þe ſhe geet. To whom anſwerde þe aungel, If þou me conſtreyneſt, Y ſhal not eete þi looues; forſoþe if þou wolt doo brent ſacrifice, offre þou þat to þe Lord. And Manue wiſt not, þat it was þe aungel of þe Lord. And he ſeide to hym, What is name to þee, þat if þi word were fulfillid, we doon worſhip to þee? To whom he anſwerde, Whi aſkiſt þou my name, þat is merueylows?

And ſo Manue took a kidde of þe geet, and ſacrifices of licours, and putte vpon þe ſtoon, offrynge to þe Lord þat doþ merueylows þingis. Forſoþe he and þe wijf of hym biheelden. And whanne þe flawme of þe auter ſtiede into heuene, þe aungel of þe Lord togidre in þe flawme ſtiede vp. Þe which þing whanne Manue hadde ſeen and his wijf, redi þei fellen into þe erþe. And na more to hym aperide þe aungel of þe Lord. And anoon Manue vndurſtood to be þe aungel of þe Lord. And he ſeide to hys wijf, Bi deeþ die we, for we han ſeen þe Lord.

To whom anſwerde þe womman, If þe Lord wold ſlee vs, of oure hoondis brent ſacrifice and offryngis of licours he wold not haue take; but alle þes þingis he wold not haue ſhewid to vs, ne þo þingis þat ben to com haue ſeid. And ſo ſhe beere a child, and clepide þe name of him Sampſon; and þe child wexe, and þe Lord bleſſide to hym. And þe ſpyrit of þe Lord began to be wiþ hym in þe tentis of Dan, bitwix Saraa and Eſkahol.