Then went Samson
to Gaza
, and saw
there an harlot
, and went in
unto her.
And it was told the Gazites, saying
, Samson
is come
hither. 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.
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
.
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved
a woman
in the valley
of Sorek
, whose name
was Delilah
.
And the lords of the Philistines
came up
unto her, and said
unto her, Entice
him, and see
wherein his great
strength
lieth , and by what means we may prevail
against him, that we may bind
him to afflict
him: and we will give
thee every one
of us eleven hundred
pieces of silver
.
And Delilah said
to Samson
, Tell
me, I pray thee, wherein thy great
strength
lieth , and wherewith thou mightest be bound
to afflict
thee.
And Samson said
unto her, If they bind
me with seven
green
withs
that were never dried
, then shall I be weak
, and be as another
man
.
Then the lords of the Philistines
brought up
to her seven
green
withs
which had not been dried
, and she bound
him with them.
Now there were men lying in wait, abiding
with her in the chamber
. And she said
unto him, The Philistines
be upon thee, Samson
. And he brake
the withs
, as a thread
of tow
is broken
when it toucheth
the fire
. So his strength
was not known
.
And Delilah said
unto Samson
, Behold, thou hast mocked
me, and told
me lies
: now tell
me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound
.
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
.
Delilah therefore took
new
ropes
, and bound
him therewith, and said
unto him, The Philistines
be upon thee, Samson
. And there were liers in wait
abiding
in the chamber
. And he brake
them from off his arms
like a thread
.
And Delilah said
unto Samson
, Hitherto
thou hast mocked
me, and told
me lies
: tell
me wherewith thou mightest be bound
. And he said
unto her, If thou weavest
the seven
locks
of my head
with the web
.
And she fastened it with the pin
, and said
unto him, The Philistines
be upon thee, Samson
. And he awaked
out of his sleep
, and went away
with the pin
of the beam
, and with the web
.
And she said unto him, How
canst thou say
, I love
thee, when thine heart
is not with me? thou hast mocked
me these three
times
, and hast not told
me wherein thy great
strength
lieth .
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily
with her words
, and urged
him, so that his soul
was vexed
unto death
;
That he told her all his heart
, and said
unto her, There hath 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
.
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 shewed
me all his heart
. Then the lords
of the Philistines
came up
unto her, and brought
money
in their hand
.
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.
And she said, The Philistines
be upon thee, Samson
. And he awoke
out of his sleep
, and said
, I will go out
as at other times before
, and shake
myself. And he wist
not that the LORD
was departed
from him.
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
.
Howbeit the hair of his head
began
to grow again
after
he was shaven
.
Then the lords of the Philistines
gathered them together
for to offer
a great
sacrifice
unto Dagon
their god
, and to rejoice
: for they said
, Our god
hath delivered
Samson
our enemy
into our hand
.
And when the people saw
him, they praised
their god
: for they said
, Our god
hath delivered
into our hands
our enemy
, and the destroyer
of our country
, which slew
many
of us.
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
.
And Samson said
unto the lad
that held
him by the hand
, Suffer
me that I may feel
the pillars
whereupon the house
standeth
, that I may lean
upon them.
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
.
And Samson called
unto the LORD
, and said
, O Lord
GOD
, remember
me, I pray thee, and strengthen
me, I pray thee, only this once
, O God
, that I may be at once
avenged
of the Philistines
for my two
eyes
.
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
.
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
.
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
.