Chapter 16

Then went⁴ Samson to Gaza, and saw⁴ there an harlot, ^{2181 6} and went in⁴ unto her.

[And it was told] the Gazites, saying,² Samson is come¹ hither. And they compassed [him] in,⁴ and laid wait⁴ for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet¹⁰¹ all the night, saying,² In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill¹ him.

And Samson lay⁴ till midnight, ³⁹¹⁵ and arose⁴ at midnight, ³⁹¹⁵ and took⁴ the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away⁴ with them, bar and all, and put⁴ [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up⁵⁵ to the top of an hill that [is] before Hebron.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved⁴ a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name [was] Delilah.

And the lords of the Philistines came up⁴ unto her, and said⁴ unto her, Entice¹⁶ him, and see³ wherein his great strength [lieth], and by what [means] we may prevail⁴ against him, that we may bind¹ him to afflict¹⁵ him: and we will give⁴ thee every one of us eleven hundred ³⁹⁶⁷ [pieces] of silver.

And Delilah said⁴ to Samson, Tell⁵⁴ me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength [lieth], and wherewith thou mightest be bound¹¹ to afflict¹⁵ thee.

And Samson said⁴ unto her, If they bind⁴ me with seven green withs that were never dried,²⁷ then shall I be weak,¹ and be as another man.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up⁵⁵ to her seven green withs which had not been dried,²⁷ and she bound⁴ him with them.

Now [there were] men lying in wait,⁶ abiding⁶ with her in the chamber. And she said⁴ unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he brake¹⁷ the withs, as a thread of tow is broken¹¹ when it toucheth⁵³ the fire. So his strength was not known.⁸

And Delilah said⁴ unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked¹⁴ me, and told¹⁷ me lies: now tell⁵⁴ me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.¹¹

And he said⁴ unto her, If they bind⁴ me fast² with new ropes that never were occupied, ^{6213 8} then shall I be weak,¹ and be as another man.

Delilah therefore took⁴ new ropes, and bound⁴ him therewith, and said⁴ unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And [there were] liers in wait⁶ abiding⁶ in the chamber. And he brake¹⁷ them from off his arms like a thread.

And Delilah said⁴ unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked¹⁴ me, and told¹⁷ me lies: tell⁵⁴ me wherewith thou mightest be bound.¹¹ And he said⁴ unto her, If thou weavest⁴ the seven locks of my head with the web.

And she fastened⁴ [it] with the pin, and said⁴ unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he awaked⁴ out of his sleep, and went away⁴ with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

And she said⁴ unto him, How canst thou say,⁴ I love¹ thee, when thine heart [is] not with me? thou hast mocked¹⁴ me these three times, and hast not told⁵² me wherein thy great strength [lieth].

And it came to pass, when she pressed⁵² him daily with her words, and urged¹⁷ him, [so] that his soul was vexed⁴ unto death;²

That he told⁵⁵ her all his heart, and said⁴ unto her, There hath not come¹ a razor upon mine head; for I [have been] a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven,²⁷ then my strength will go¹ from me, and I shall become weak,¹ and be like any [other] man.

And when Delilah saw⁴ that he had told⁵² her all his heart, she sent⁴ and called⁴ for the lords of the Philistines, saying,² Come up³ this once, for he hath shewed⁵² me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up¹ unto her, and brought⁵⁵ money in their hand.

And she made him sleep¹⁷ upon her knees; and she called⁴ for a man, and she caused him to shave off¹⁷ the seven locks of his head; and she began⁵⁵ to afflict¹⁵ him, and his strength went⁴ from him.

And she said,⁴ The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he awoke⁴ out of his sleep, and said,⁴ I will go out⁴ as at other times ⁶⁴⁷¹ before, and shake¹¹ myself. And he wist¹ not that the LORD was departed¹ from him.

But the Philistines took⁴ him, and put out¹⁷ his eyes, and brought him down⁵⁵ to Gaza, and bound⁴ him with fetters of brass; and he did grind⁶ in the prison⁷ house.

Howbeit the hair of his head began⁵⁵ to grow¹⁵ again after he was shaven.²⁷

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered⁸ them together for to offer² a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said,⁴ Our god hath delivered¹ Samson our enemy⁶ into our hand.

And when the people saw⁴ him, they praised¹⁷ their god: for they said,¹ Our god hath delivered¹ into our hands our enemy,⁶ and the destroyer⁵⁶ of our country, which slew many⁵² of us.

And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said,⁴ Call³ for Samson, that he may make us sport.¹⁷ And they called⁴ for Samson out of the prison⁷ house; and he made them sport:¹⁷ and they set⁵⁵ him between the pillars.

And Samson said⁴ unto the lad that held⁵⁶ him by the hand, Suffer⁵⁴ me that I may feel^{54 3237 54} the pillars whereupon the house standeth,¹² that I may lean¹¹ upon them.

Now the house was full¹ 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 beheld⁶ while Samson made sport.²

And Samson called⁴ unto the LORD, and said,⁴ O Lord GOD, remember³ me, I pray thee, and strengthen¹⁶ me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged^{11 5359} of the Philistines for my two eyes.

And Samson took hold⁴ of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood,¹² and on which it was borne up,¹¹ of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

And Samson said,⁴ Let me die⁴ with the Philistines. And he bowed⁴ himself with [all his] might; and the house fell⁴ upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein. So the dead⁵ which he slew⁵² at his death were more than [they] which he slew⁵² in his life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down,⁴ and took⁴ him, and brought [him] up,⁴ and buried⁴ him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged¹ Israel twenty years.