Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 14:18:
- Kupsabiny: “And before sunset on that seventh day, the people of the city told Samson,
‘What may be sweeter than honey?
What may have more power than a lion?’
Then, Samson said to those people, ‘If you had not dug a trench of water to me (tricked me) and asked through my bride, you would not have gotten/found my riddle.‘” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation) - Newari: “That very day before the sun set, the men of the city said to Samson,
"What is sweeter than honey?
Who is stronger than a lion?"
Samson said,
"If [you] had not ploughed with my cow,
[You] would not have been able to give that answer."” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “So before the end of the seventh day, they answered the riddle/thing-to-be-guessed. They said to Samson,
‘There is nothing sweeter than honey,
and there is nothing stronger than a lion.’
Samson replied,
‘If you (plur.) had- not -forced/persisted/urged my bride/wife,
you (plur.) would not have-known the answer.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - English: “So, before sunset on the seventh day, the young men came to Samson and said to him,
‘What/Nothing is sweeter than honey.
What/Nothing is stronger than a lion !’
Samson replied, ‘You should not force a heifer to plow a field.
Similarly, if you had not forced my bride to ask me about the riddle ,
you would not have known the answer to my riddle!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
