Iudicum 16
1 Abiit quoque in Gazam, et vidit ibi mulierem meretricem, ingressusque est ad eam.
And Samson went from there to Gaza, and saw a prostitute there, and went in to her.
2 Quod cum audissent Philisthiim, et percrebruisset apud eos, intrasse urbem Samson, circumdederunt eum, positis in porta civitatis custodibus: et ibi tota nocte cum silentio præstolantes, ut facto mane exeuntem occiderent.
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 Dormivit autem Samson usque ad medium noctem: et inde consurgens apprehendit ambas portæ fores cum postibus suis, et sera, impositasque humeris suis portavit ad verticem montis, qui respicit 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 Post hæc amavit mulierem, quæ habitabat in Valle Sorec, et vocabatur Dalila.
It came to pass afterward, that he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 Veneruntque ad eam principes Philisthinorum, atque dixerunt: Decipe eum, et disce ab illo, in quo habeat tantam fortitudinem, et quo modo eum superare valeamus, et vinctum affligere. quod si feceris, dabimus tibi singuli mille et centum argenteos.
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 Locuta est ergo Dalila ad Samson: Dic mihi, obsecro, in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo, et quid sit quo ligatus erumpere nequeas?
Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you can be bound and subdued."
7 Cui respondit Samson: Si septem nerviceis funibus necdum siccis, et adhuc humentibus ligatus fuero, infirmus ero ut ceteri homines.
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 Attuleruntque ad eam satrapæ Philisthinorum septem funes, ut dixerat: quibus vinxit eam,
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 latentibus apud se insidiis, et in cubiculo finem rei expectantibus, clamavitque ad eum: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui rupit vincula, quo modo si rumpat quis filum de stuppæ tortum putamine, cum odorem ignis acceperit: et non est cognitum in quo esset fortitudo eius.
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 Dixitque ad eum Dalila: Ecce illusisti mihi, et falsum locutus es: saltem nunc indica mihi quo ligari debeas.
Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now please tell me with which you might be bound."
11 Cui ille respondit: Si ligatus fuero novis funibus, qui numquam fuerunt in opere, infirmus ero, et aliorum hominum similis.
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 Quibus rursum Dalila vinxit eum, et clamavit: Philisthiim super te Samson, in cubiculo insidiis præparatis. Qui ita rupit vincula quasi fila telarum.
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 Dixitque Dalila rursum ad eum: Usquequo decipis me, et falsum loqueris? ostende quo vinciri debeas. Cui respondit Samson: Si septem crines capitis mei cum licio plexueris, et clavum his circumligatum terræ fixeris, infirmus ero.
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 Quod cum fecisset Dalila, dixit ad eum: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio.
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 Dixitque ad eum Dalila: Quo modo dicis quod amas me, cum animus tuus non sit mecum? Per tres vices mentitus es mihi, et noluisti dicere in quo sit maxima fortitudo tua.
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 Cumque molesta esset ei, et per multos dies iugiter adhæreret, spatium ad quietem non tribuens, defecit anima eius, et ad mortem usque lassata est.
It happened, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was troubled to death.
17 Tunc aperiens veritatem rei, dixit ad eam: Ferrum numquam ascendit super caput meum, quia nazaræus, id est, consecratus Deo sum de utero matris meæ: si rasum fuerit caput meum, recedet a me fortitudo mea, et deficiam, eroque sicut ceteri homines.
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 Vidensque illa quod confessus ei esset omnem animum suum, misit ad principes Philisthinorum ac mandavit: Ascende adhuc semel, quia nunc mihi aperuit cor suum. Qui ascenderunt assumpta pecunia, quam promiserant.
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 At illa dormire eum fecit super genua sua, et in sinu suo reclinare caput. Vocavitque tonsorem, et rasit septem crines eius, et cœpit abigere eum, et a se repellere: statim enim ab eo fortitudo discessit:
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 dixitque: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui de somno consurgens, dixit in animo suo: Egrediar sicut ante feci, et me excutiam, nesciens quod recessisset ab eo Dominus.
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 Jehovah had departed from him.
21 Quem cum apprehendissent Philisthiim, statim eruerunt oculos eius, et duxerunt Gazam vinctum catenis, et clausum in carcere molere fecerunt.
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 Iamque capilli eius renasci cœperunt,
However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.
23 et principes Philisthinorum convenerunt in unum ut immolarent hostias magnificas Dagon deo suo, et epularentur, dicentes: Tradidit Deus noster inimicum nostrum Samson in manus nostras.
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 Quod etiam populus videns, laudabat deum suum, eademque dicebat: Tradidit Deus noster adversarium nostrum in manus nostras, qui delevit terram nostram, et occidit plurimos.
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 Lætantesque per convivia, sumptis iam epulis, præceperunt ut vocaretur Samson, et ante eos luderet. Qui adductus de carcere ludebat ante eos, feceruntque eum stare inter duas columnas.
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 Qui dixit puero regenti gressus suos: Dimitte me, ut tangam columnas, quibus omnis imminet domus, et recliner super eas, et paululum requiescam.
and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, "Allow me to feel the pillars whereupon the house rests, that I may lean on them." And the boy did so.
27 Domus autem erat plena virorum ac mulierum, et erant ibi omnes principes Philisthinorum, ac de tecto et solario circiter tria millia utriusque sexus spectantes ludentem Samson.
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 At ille invocato Domino ait: Domine Deus, memento mei, et redde mihi nunc fortitudinem pristinam Deus meus, ut ulciscar me de hostibus meis, et pro amissione duorum luminum unam ultionem recipiam.
Samson called to Jehovah, and said, "Lord Jehovah, 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 Et apprehendens ambas columnas, quibus innitebatur domus, alteramque earum dextera, et alteram læva tenens,
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 ait: Moriatur anima mea cum Philisthiim. concussisque fortiter columnis, cecidit domus super omnes principes, et ceteram multitudinem, quæ ibi erat: multoque plures interfecit moriens, quam ante vivus occiderat.
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 Descendentes autem fratres eius et universa cognatio tulerunt corpus eius, et sepelierunt inter Saraa et Esthaol in sepulchro patris sui Manue: iudicavitque Israel viginti annis.
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.
