As Israelites offended Lord,
He gave them over to power
Of Philistines for forty years.
A man who hailed from Zorah,
Belonging to the clan of Dan;
His name was Manoah;
His wife hadn’t borne a single child!
The Lord’s angel appeared to her,
Said, ‘You’ll conceive and bear a son.
Take care to drink no wine, strong drink
And eat nothing unclean.
Let not a razor touch son’s head –
From womb, to God consecrated,
Until the day of death;
He’ll deliver Israel
From pow’r of Philistines! ’
The woman told her husband Manoah
About the angel of the Lord
And what he had told her.
Manoah prayed to Lord,
‘O Lord, I beseech You
to send the man of God again
and teach us what to do
for the boy who’ll be born.’
God heard Manoah’s prayer;
The angel came again;
The woman was alone.
She fetched her husband soon;
Manoah asked him what
they ought to do for the boy to be born.
The angel told them what to do.
As Manoah asked the angel
to stay and eat a meal,
The latter told him to offer
a kid and cereals on a rock
to God, whose works are mysteries.
Manoah did as instructed;
The flame from the altar rose high;
The angel ascended the flame
towards the sky and wasn’t seen anymore!
Fear overtook them both;
They thought they’d seen God and would die!
God accepted their sacrifice.
The woman bore a son,
And his name was Samson;
The boy grew up;
The Lord blessed him;
The spirit of the Lord
Came upon him at Mahaneh-dan first!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 8-3-2008
Dr John Celes
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-bible-story-of-samson-book-of-judges-chapter-13/
