1. The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.
2. At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children.
3. The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, “You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son.
4. Take care not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food;
5. and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines.”
6. Then the woman went and said to her husband, “A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the angel of God. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name.
7. But he did tell me that I would become pregnant and have a son. He told me not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food, because the boy is to be dedicated to God as a Nazirite as long as he lives.”
8. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God that you sent come back to us and tell us what we must do with the boy when he is born.”
15-16. Manoah did not know that it was the Lord's angel, so he said to him, “Please do not go yet. Let us cook a young goat for you.”But the angel said, “If I do stay, I will not eat your food. But if you want to prepare it, burn it as an offering to the Lord.”
20-21. While the flames were going up from the altar, Manoah and his wife saw the Lord's angel go up towards heaven in the flames. Manoah realized then that the man had been the Lord's angel, and he and his wife threw themselves face downwards on the ground. They never saw the angel again.