Iudicum 16
1 Abiit quoque in Gazam, et vidit ibi mulierem meretricem, ingressusque est ad eam.
And Samson goeth to Gaza, and seeth there a woman, a harlot, and goeth in unto 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.
[it is told] to the Gazathites, saying, 'Samson hath come in hither;' and they go round and lay wait for him all the night at the gate of the city, and keep themselves silent all the night, saying, 'Till the light of the morning — then we have slain 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.
And Samson lieth down till the middle of the night, and riseth in the middle of the night, and layeth hold on the doors of the gate of the city, and on the two side posts, and removeth them with the bar, and putteth on his shoulders, and taketh them up unto the top of the hill, which [is] on the front of Hebron.
4 Post hæc amavit mulierem, quæ habitabat in Valle Sorec, et vocabatur Dalila.
And it cometh to pass afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name [is] 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.
and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, 'Entice him, and see wherein his great power [is], and wherein we are able for him — and we have bound him to afflict him, and we — we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.'
6 Locuta est ergo Dalila ad Samson: Dic mihi, obsecro, in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo, et quid sit quo ligatus erumpere nequeas?
And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power [is], and wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.'
7 Cui respondit Samson: Si septem nerviceis funibus necdum siccis, et adhuc humentibus ligatus fuero, infirmus ero ut ceteri homines.
And Samson saith unto her, 'If they bind me with seven green withs which have not been dried, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
8 Attuleruntque ad eam satrapæ Philisthinorum septem funes, ut dixerat: quibus vinxit eam,
And the princes of the Philistines bring up to her seven green withs which have not been dried, and she bindeth 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.
And the ambush is abiding with her in an inner chamber, and she saith unto him, 'Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and he breaketh the withs as a thread of tow is broken in its smelling fire, and his power hath not been known.
10 Dixitque ad eum Dalila: Ecce illusisti mihi, et falsum locutus es: saltem nunc indica mihi quo ligari debeas.
And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Lo, thou hast played upon me, and speakest unto me lies; now, declare, I pray thee, to me, wherewith thou art bound.'
11 Cui ille respondit: Si ligatus fuero novis funibus, qui numquam fuerunt in opere, infirmus ero, et aliorum hominum similis.
And he saith unto her, 'If they certainly bind me with thick bands, new ones, by which work hath not been done, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
12 Quibus rursum Dalila vinxit eum, et clamavit: Philisthiim super te Samson, in cubiculo insidiis præparatis. Qui ita rupit vincula quasi fila telarum.
And Delilah taketh thick bands, new ones, and bindeth him with them, and saith unto him, 'Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he breaketh them from off his arms as 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.
And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Hitherto thou hast played upon me, and dost speak unto me lies; declare to me wherewith thou art bound.' And he saith unto her, 'If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.'
14 Quod cum fecisset Dalila, dixit ad eum: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio.
And she fixeth [it] with the pin, and saith unto him, 'Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and journeyeth with the pin of the weaving machine, and with the web.
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.
And she saith unto him, 'How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy great power [is].'
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.
And it cometh to pass, because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and his soul is grieved 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.
that he declareth to her all his heart, and saith to her, 'A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a Nazarite to God I [am] from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any of the human race.'
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.
And Delilah seeth that he hath declared to her all his heart, and she sendeth and calleth for the princes of the Philistines, saying, 'Come up this time, for he hath declared to me all his heart;' and the princes of the Philistines have come up unto her, and bring up the money in their hand.
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:
and she maketh him sleep on her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off 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.
and she saith, 'Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, 'I go out as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath turned aside from off him.
21 Quem cum apprehendissent Philisthiim, statim eruerunt oculos eius, et duxerunt Gazam vinctum catenis, et clausum in carcere molere fecerunt.
And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.
22 Iamque capilli eius renasci cœperunt,
And the hair of his head beginneth to shoot up, when he hath been shaven,
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.
and the princes of the Philistines have been gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they say, 'Our god hath given into our hand Samson our enemy.'
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.
And the people see him, and praise their god, for they said, 'Our god hath given in our hand our enemy, and he who is laying waste our land, and who multiplied our wounded.'
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 cometh to pass, when their heart [is] glad, that they say, 'Call for Samson, and he doth play before us;' and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he playeth before them, and they cause him to stand 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 saith unto the young man who is keeping hold on his hand, 'Let me alone, and let me feel the pillars on which the house is established, and I lean upon them.'
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.
And the house hath been full of men and of women, and thither [are] all the princes of the Philistines, and on the roof [are] about three thousand men and women, who are looking on the playing of Samson.
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.
And Samson calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, 'Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this time, O God; and I am avenged — vengeance at once — because of my two eyes, on the Philistines.'
29 Et apprehendens ambas columnas, quibus innitebatur domus, alteramque earum dextera, et alteram læva tenens,
And Samson turneth aside [to] the two middle pillars, on which the house is established, and on which it is supported, [to] the one with his right hand, and one 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.
and Samson saith, 'Let me die with the Philistines,' and he inclineth himself powerfully, and the house falleth on the princes, and on all the people who [are] in it, and the dead whom he hath put to death in his death are more than those whom he put to death 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.
And his brethren come down, and all the house of his father, and lift him up, and bring him up, and bury him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father; and he hath judged Israel twenty years.
