Judges 16
1 Then went Samson unto Gaza, —and saw there an unchaste woman, and went in unto her.
Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
2 And it was told the Gazites, saying—Samson hath come in hither. So they came round, and lay in wait for him, all the night, in the gate of the city, —but kept themselves quiet all the night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then will we slay him.
And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson has come here. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and of the two doorposts, and tare them away, with the bar, and put them on his shoulders, —and carried them up to the top of the hill that faceth Hebron.
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
4 And it came to pass, after this, that he loved a woman in the ravine of Shorek, whose, name, was Delilah.
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 So the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said to her—Entice him, and see wherein lieth his great strength, and wherewith we may prevail against him, and bind him, to humble him, —and, we, will give thee, every man, eleven hundred pieces of silver.
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give you every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6 So Delilah said unto Samson, Do tell me, I pray thee, wherein lieth thy great strength, —and wherewith thou mightest be bound, to humble thee.
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and wherewith you might be bound to afflict you.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green cords, that have not been dried, then shall I become weak, and be as any other man.
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords, that had not been dried, —and she bound him therewith.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now, the liers in wait, were tarrying for her, in an inner chamber, —and she said unto him, —The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he snapped the cords as a thread of tow is broken, when fire bloweth thereon, so his strength was not discovered.
Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Lo! thou hast been laughing at me, and speaking unto me falsehoods, —Now, do tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray you, wherewith you might be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they, bind me fast, with new ropes, wherewith work was never done, then shall I become weak, and be as any other man.
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him—The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! Now, the liers in wait, were tarrying in an inner chamber. And he snapped them off his arms like a thread.
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And there were hidden attackers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson—Hitherto, hast thou been laughing at me, and speaking unto me falsehoods, do tell me, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weave the seven braids of my head with the warp.
And Delilah said unto Samson, Until now you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith you might be bound. And he said unto her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 So she beat them up with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he awaked out of his sleep, and pulled out the pin of the loom, and the warp.
And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
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 laughed at me, and hast not told me wherein lieth thy great strength.
And she said unto 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 wherein your great strength lies.
16 And it came to pass, when she urged him with her words continually, and pressed him, that his soul became impatient, unto death;
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 so he told her all his heart, and said to her—No, razor, hath come on my head, for, one separate unto God, have I been, from my birth, —if I were shaven, then would depart from me my strength, and I should become weak, and be as any other man.
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There has not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall 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. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought up the silver in their hand.
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 has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees, and called for a man, and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head, —and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said—The Philistines, are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and said—I will go out now, as time after time, and shake myself free: he, not knowing, that, Yahweh, had departed from him.
And she said, The Philistines be upon you, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he knows not that the LORD was departed from him.
21 And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, —and took him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of bronze, and it came to pass that he used to grind in the prison.
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
22 And the hair of his head began to grow, after he had been shaven.
Nevertheless the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
23 Now, the lords of the Philistines, had 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.
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together in order to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: 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, even him who laid waste our land, and who multiplied our slain.
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
25 And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called for Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them, and they stationed him between the pillars.
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
26 And Samson said unto the youth that held him by his hand, Place me where I may feel the pillars whereon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them.
And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them.
27 Now, the house, was full of men and women, there, also were all the lords of the Philistines, —and, on the roof, were about three thousand men and women, looking 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 upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
28 So then Samson cried unto Yahweh, and said, —My Lord Yahweh! remember me, I pray thee, —and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged, with one avenging, for my two eyes, upon the Philistines.
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 Then did Samson grasp the two middle pillars, whereon the house rested, and whereon it was upheld, and he braced himself against them, —the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said—Let my soul die with the Philistines! And he bowed mightily, 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 they whom he slew in his life.
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
31 Then came down his brethren, and all the house of his father, and lifted him, and carried him up, and buried him, between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the buryingplace of Manoah his father, —he, having judged Israel twenty years.
Then his brethren 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 buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
