שֹׁפְטִים 15
| וַיְהִ֨י מִיָּמִ֜ים בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד שִׁמְשֹׁ֤ון אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו֙ בִּגְדִ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָבֹ֥אָה אֶל־אִשְׁתִּ֖י הֶחָ֑דְרָה וְלֹֽא־נְתָנֹ֥ו אָבִ֖יהָ לָבֹֽוא׃ | 1 |
Then, after some time, when the days of the wheat harvest were near, Samson arrived, intending to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid from the goats. And when he wanted to enter her bedroom, as usual, her father prohibited him, saying:
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֗יהָ אָמֹ֤ר אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ כִּי־שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ הֲלֹ֨א אֲחֹתָ֤הּ הַקְּטַנָּה֙ טֹובָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נָּה תְּהִי־נָ֥א לְךָ֖ תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃ | 2 |
“I thought that you would hate her, and therefore I gave her to your friend. But she has a sister, who is younger and more beautiful than she is. And she may be a wife for you, instead of her.”
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון נִקֵּ֥יתִי הַפַּ֖עַם מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים כִּֽי־עֹשֶׂ֥ה אֲנִ֛י עִמָּ֖ם רָעָֽה׃ | 3 |
And Samson answered him: “From this day, there shall be no guilt for me against the Philistines. For I will do harm to you all.”
| וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאֹ֣ות שׁוּעָלִ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֣ח לַפִּדִ֗ים וַיֶּ֤פֶן זָנָב֙ אֶל־זָנָ֔ב וַיָּ֨שֶׂם לַפִּ֥יד אֶחָ֛ד בֵּין־שְׁנֵ֥י הַזְּנָבֹ֖ות בַּתָּֽוֶךְ׃ | 4 |
And he went out and caught three hundred foxes. And he joined them tail to tail. And he tied torches between the tails.
| וַיַּבְעֶר־אֵשׁ֙ בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח בְּקָמֹ֣ות פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ וְעַד־קָמָ֖ה וְעַד־כֶּ֥רֶם זָֽיִת׃ | 5 |
And setting these on fire, he released them, so that they might rush from place to place. And immediately they went into the grain fields of the Philistines, setting these on fire, both the grain that was already bound for carrying, and what was still standing on the stalk. These were completely burned up, so much so that the flame also consumed even the vineyards and the olive groves.
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֮ מִ֣י עָ֣שָׂה זֹאת֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שִׁמְשֹׁון֙ חֲתַ֣ן הַתִּמְנִ֔י כִּ֚י לָקַ֣ח אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּ֔ו וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אֹותָ֛הּ וְאֶת־אָבִ֖יהָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ | 6 |
And the Philistines said, “Who has done this thing?” And it was said: “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took away his wife, and gave her to another. He has done these things.” And the Philistines went up and burned the woman as well as her father.
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון אִֽם־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן כָּזֹ֑את כִּ֛י אִם־נִקַּ֥מְתִּי בָכֶ֖ם וְאַחַ֥ר אֶחְדָּֽל׃ | 7 |
And Samson said to them, “Even though you have done this, I will still fulfill vengeance against you, and then I will be quieted.”
| וַיַּ֨ךְ אֹותָ֥ם שֹׁ֛וק עַל־יָרֵ֖ךְ מַכָּ֣ה גְדֹולָ֑ה וַיֵּ֣רֶד וַיֵּ֔שֶׁב בִּסְעִ֖יף סֶ֥לַע עֵיטָֽם׃ ס | 8 |
And he struck them with a tremendous slaughter, so much so that, out of astonishment, they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And descending, he lived in a cave of the rock at Etam.
| וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בִּיהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ בַּלֶּֽחִי׃ | 9 |
And so the Philistines, ascending into the land of Judah, made camp at the place which was later called Lehi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army spread out.
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָמָ֖ה עֲלִיתֶ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לֶאֱסֹ֤ור אֶת־שִׁמְשֹׁון֙ עָלִ֔ינוּ לַעֲשֹׂ֣ות לֹ֔ו כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר עָ֥שָׂה לָֽנוּ׃ | 10 |
And some from the tribe of Judah said to them, “Why have you ascended against us?” And they responded, “We have come to bind Samson, and to repay him for what he has done to us.”
| וַיֵּרְד֡וּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת֩ אֲלָפִ֨ים אִ֜ישׁ מִֽיהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־סְעִיף֮ סֶ֣לַע עֵיטָם֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְשִׁמְשֹׁ֗ון הֲלֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ כִּֽי־מֹשְׁלִ֥ים בָּ֙נוּ֙ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּמַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ עָ֣שׂוּ לִ֔י כֵּ֖ן עָשִׂ֥יתִי לָהֶֽם׃ | 11 |
Then three thousand men of Judah descended to the cave of the rock at Etam. And they said to Samson: “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why would you want to do this?” And he said to them, “As they have done to me, so I have done to them.”
| וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לֹו֙ לֶאֱסָרְךָ֣ יָרַ֔דְנוּ לְתִתְּךָ֖ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון הִשָּׁבְע֣וּ לִ֔י פֶּֽן־תִּפְגְּע֥וּן בִּ֖י אַתֶּֽם׃ | 12 |
And they said to him, “We have come to bind you, and to deliver you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear and promise to me that you will not kill me.”
| וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ לֹ֣ו לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹ֤א כִּֽי־אָסֹ֤ר נֶֽאֱסָרְךָ֙ וּנְתַנּ֣וּךָ בְיָדָ֔ם וְהָמֵ֖ת לֹ֣א נְמִיתֶ֑ךָ וַיַּאַסְרֻ֗הוּ בִּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ עֲבֹתִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּהוּ מִן־הַסָּֽלַע׃ | 13 |
They said: “We will not kill you. But we will deliver you tied.” And they bound him with two new cords. And they took him from the rock at Etam.
| הוּא־בָ֣א עַד־לֶ֔חִי וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הֵרִ֣יעוּ לִקְרָאתֹ֑ו וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרֹועֹותָ֗יו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעֲר֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ אֱסוּרָ֖יו מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו׃ | 14 |
And when he had arrived at the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines, shouting aloud, had met him, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. And just as flax is usually consumed by a hint of fire, so were the ties with which he was bound broken and released.
| וַיִּמְצָ֥א לְחִֽי־חֲמֹ֖ור טְרִיָּ֑ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדֹו֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיַּךְ־בָּ֖הּ אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ׃ | 15 |
And finding a jawbone which was laying there, that is, the jawbone of a donkey, snatching it up, he put to death a thousand men with it.
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שִׁמְשֹׁ֔ון בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמֹ֔ור חֲמֹ֖ור חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמֹ֔ור הִכֵּ֖יתִי אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ׃ | 16 |
And he said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, with the jaw of the colt of a donkey, I have destroyed them, and I have struck down a thousand men.”
| וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּכַלֹּתֹ֣ו לְדַבֵּ֔ר וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ הַלְּחִ֖י מִיָּדֹ֑ו וַיִּקְרָ֛א לַמָּקֹ֥ום הַה֖וּא רָ֥מַת לֶֽחִי׃ | 17 |
And when he had completed these words, singing, he threw the jawbone from his hand. And called the name of that place Ramath-Lehi, which is translated as ‘the elevation of the jawbone.’
| וַיִּצְמָא֮ מְאֹד֒ וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אַתָּה֙ נָתַ֣תָּ בְיַֽד־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְעַתָּה֙ אָמ֣וּת בַּצָּמָ֔א וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י בְּיַ֥ד הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃ | 18 |
And being very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, and he said: “You have given, to the hand of your servant, this very great salvation and victory. But see that I am dying of thirst, and so I will fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.”
| וַיִּבְקַ֨ע אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ אֲשֶׁר־בַּלֶּ֗חִי וַיֵּצְא֨וּ מִמֶּ֤נּוּ מַ֙יִם֙ וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַתָּ֥שָׁב רוּחֹ֖ו וַיֶּ֑חִי עַל־כֵּ֣ן ׀ קָרָ֣א שְׁמָ֗הּ עֵ֤ין הַקֹּורֵא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלֶּ֔חִי עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃ | 19 |
And so the Lord opened a large tooth in the jawbone of the donkey, and water went out from it. And having drank it, his spirit was revived, and he recovered his strength. For this reason, the name of that place was called ‘the Spring called forth from the jawbone,’ even to the present day.
| וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בִּימֵ֥י פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ פ | 20 |
And he judged Israel, in the days of the Philistines, for twenty years.
