Shoftim 13 שופטים י״ג

The Bnei Yisroel resumed acting wickedly in Adonoy's eyes. Adonoy delivered them into the hand of the Pelishtim for forty years.

There was a man from Tzor'oh, of the Danite family, named Manoach. His wife was barren, never having borne a child.

An angel of God appeared to the woman, and told her, "Look, you are presently barren, and have never borne a child. But you shall conceive, and bear a son.

Now please be careful; do not drink freshly pressed or intoxicating wine, and do not consume anything ritually defiled.

For you will conceive and bear a son. The razor must not be wielded on his head, for the boy shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb. He shall initiate the salvation of Yisroel from the hand of the Pelishtim."

The woman came and told her husband, saying "A man of God has visited me, whose appearance resembled the appearance of an angel of God—extremely awesome! I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name.

He said to me, 'You will conceive and bear a son. Do not drink freshly pressed or intoxicating wine, and do not consume anything ritually defiled, for the boy shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb until the day of his death.'"

Manoach beseeched Adonoy, saying: "Please, my Master, the man of God whom you sent—please, may he visit us again to instruct us concerning what must be done with the boy who will be born."

God accepted Manoach's prayer. The angel of God visited the woman again, as she sat in the field, but her husband Manoach, was not with her.

The woman hastened, and ran to inform her husband. She told him, "Look, the man has appeared to me—the one who visited me that day."

Manoach rose, and walked behind his wife. He came to the man, and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to the woman?" He said, "I am."

Manoach said, "Now your word shall be fulfilled. What regulations must we follow with the boy, how shall we treat him?"

The angel of Adonoy replied to Manoach, "of everything I mentioned to the woman, she must be aware.

Anything manufactured from the wine producing grape she must not consume. and freshly pressed or intoxicating wine She must not drink. She must not consume anything ritually defiled. Everything I commanded her she must carefully keep.

Manoach said to the angel of Adonoy, "Please, allow us to detain you, and prepare, for you, a young goat."

The angel of Adonoy replied to Manoach, "Even if you should detain me, I cannot eat your bread. And if you wish to prepare an Olah offering, offer it to Adonoy." For Manoach was unaware that this was an angel of Adonoy.

Manoach said to the angel of Adonoy, "What is your name? When your instructions reach us, we want to honor you."

The angel of Adonoy replied to him, "Why ask my name, when it is mystical?"

Manoach took the young goat and the offering, and brought them up on the rock to Adonoy. Then a miracle was worked, while Manoach and his wife watched.

It happened, that, when the flame leapt from the altar heavenward, the angel of Adonoy ascended in the flame of the altar. When Manoach and his wife saw this, they prostrated themselves, their faces to the ground.

The angel of Adonoy no longer revealed himself to Manoach and his wife. Manoach then realized that this was an angel of Adonoy.

Manoach exclaimed to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have had a vision of God!"

His wife replied to him, "If Adonoy had wanted to kill us, He would not have accepted from our hands the Olah and meal offerings. He would not have revealed all this to us, and, at this time, He would not have apprised us in this way."

The woman gave birth to a son, and named him Shimshon. The boy matured, and Adonoy blessed him.

The spirit of Adonoy began pulsating within him in the camp of Dan, which was between Tzoroh and Eshtaol.