Judges 16
1 Then went Samson to Gazzah, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.
And Samson went from there to Gaza, and saw a prostitute there, and went in to her.
2 And it was told to the Gazzites, saying, Samson is come hither: and they compassed him in, and lay in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city, and held themselves quiet all the night, saying, By the time it is light in the morning will we kill him.
And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, "Samson is here." They surrounded him, and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all night, saying, "Wait until morning light, then we will kill him."
3 And Samson lay till midnight; but he arose at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the city-gate, and the two door-posts, and tore them away with the bolt, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mount that is before Hebron.
Now Samson rested until midnight, but got up at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is overlooking Hebron, and set them down there.
4 And it came to pass after this, that he loved a woman in the valley of Shorek, whose name was Delilah.
It came to pass afterward, that he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Persuade him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail over him, that we may bind him to subdue him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
The lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, "Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."
6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou canst be bound to subdue thee.
Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you can be bound and subdued."
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven moist cords which have not yet been dried, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.
Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man."
8 And the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven moist cords which had not yet been dried, and she bound him with them.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 And she had men lying in wait, sitting near her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he tore the cords, as a thread of tow is torn when it toucheth the fire; and his strength was not perceived.
Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, "The Philistines are on you, Samson." He broke the cords, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; now do tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou canst be bound.
Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now please tell me with which you might be bound."
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used in work, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.
He said to her, "If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man."
12 And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers in wait were sitting in the chamber. But he tore them from off his arms like a thread.
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, "The Philistines are on you, Samson." The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; do tell me wherewith thou canst be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
Delilah said to Samson, "Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound." He said to her, "If you weave the seven braids on my head with the fabric and fasten them with the pin, then I will be weak as another man."
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awakened out of his sleep, and tore away the pin of the loom, with the web.
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids on his head, and wove them with the fabric, and she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." And he awoke from his sleep, and pulled away the pin of the loom and the fabric.
15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou deceived me, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
She said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies."
16 And it came to pass, when she worried him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul became impatient to die;
It happened, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was troubled to death.
17 And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, A razor hath not passed over my head; for a Nazarite of God have I been from my mother's womb; if I were shaved, my strength would depart from me, and I should become weak, and be like all other men.
He told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak, and be like any other man."
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once; for he hath told me all his heart. Then came the lords of the Philistines up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.
When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines went up to her, and brought the money in their hands.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to subdue him, and his strength departed from him.
She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and he began to weaken, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself free. But he knew not that the Lord had departed from him.
She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson." He awoke out of his sleep, and said, "I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free." But he didn't know that the LORD had departed from him.
21 And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazzah, and bound him with fetters of copper; and he had to grind in the prison-house.
The Philistines seized him, and gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with bronze shackles, and he ground at the mill in the prison.
22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.
However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.
23 And the lords of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand Samson our enemy.
The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to celebrate; for they said, "Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand."
24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, and him who hath slain so many of us.
When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, "Our god has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us, into our hand."
25 And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them; and they placed him between the pillars.
And it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may entertain us." So they called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. And they were striking him. And they set him between the pillars;
26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me [to go] and let me feel the pillars whereupon the house is supported, that I may lean upon them.
and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, "Allow me to feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean on them." And the boy did so.
27 Now the house was full of men and women; and there were all the lords of the Philistines; and upon the roof were about three thousand men and women, that looked on while Samson made sport.
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And there were on the roof about three thousand men and women watching while Samson performed.
28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord Eternal, remember me, I pray thee, and do thou strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged for one of my two eyes on the Philistines.
Samson called to the LORD, and said, "Lord GOD, please remember me, and please strengthen me only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."
29 And Samson threw his arms around the two middle pillars upon which the house was supported, and he leaned on them, [on] one with his right hand, and [on] the other with his left.
Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bent [them] with might, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life.
Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.
31 Then came down his brothers and all the house of his father, and they took him up, and carried him up, and buried him between Zor'ah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoach his father. And he had judged Israel twenty years.
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years.
