[2] A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. [3] The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. [4] Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. [5] You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” [6] Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. [7] But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’ ” [8] Then Manoah prayed to the LORD: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” [9] God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. [10] The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” [11] Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. [12] So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?” [13] The angel of the LORD answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. [14] She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
