<p class="bodytext">When the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.<n id="1" />

He said, &#8220;You may go.&#8221; He permitted her to leave<n id="1" /> for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.<n id="2" />

So the people came to Bethel<n id="1" /> and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.<n id="2" />

She then said to her father, &#8220;Please grant me this one wish.<n id="1" /> For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.&#8221;<n id="2" />

So Samson&#8217;s bride cried on his shoulder<n id="1" /> and said, &#8220;You must<n id="2" /> hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men<n id="3" /> a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.&#8221; He said to her, &#8220;Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?&#8221;<n id="4" />

She cried on his shoulder<n id="1" /> until the party was almost over.<n id="2" /> Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much.<n id="3" /> Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle.<n id="4" />

The Israelites went up and wept before the <sc>Lordsc> until evening. They asked the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Should we<n id="1" /> again march out to fight<n id="2" /> the Benjaminites, our brothers?&#8221;<n id="3" /> The <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Attack them!&#8221;<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">So all the Israelites, the whole army,<n id="1" /> went up to<n id="2" /> Bethel.<n id="3" /> They wept and sat there before the <sc>Lordsc>; they did not eat anything<n id="4" /> that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace<n id="5" /> to the <sc>Lordsc>.