Scriptures

Judges chapter .xvi.

¶ Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an whore, and went in unto her. And it was told the Gazites, that Samson was come thither. And they went about and laid await for him all night in the gate of the city, but were still all the night saying: Tarry till the morning that it be day, and then let us kill him. And Samson took his rest till midnight, and arose at midnight took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two side posts, and rent them off, bars and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that lieth before Hebron.
¶ And after that he loved a woman, upon the river of Sorek, called Dalilah unto whom came the lords of the Philistines, and said unto her: Flatter with him and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may have power over him, that we may bind him, to bring him under, and we will give every man eleven hundred silverlings. And Dalilah said to Samson. Oh, tell me where thy great strength lieth, and if thou were bound wherewith men might constrain thee. And Samson said unto her: If men bound me with seven green withies that were never dried, I should be weak and as another man. And then the lords of the Philistines brought her seven withies that were yet green and never dried and she bound him therewith. Notwithstanding she had men lying in wait with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee Samson. And he brake the cords as a string of tow breaketh, when it feeleth fire. And so his strength was not known. Then said Dalilah to Samson: See thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Now yet tell me I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said: If I were bound with new ropes that never were occupied, then should I be weak, and as another man. And Dalilah took new ropes and bound him therewith, and said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee Samson. And there were lyers of wait in the chamber, and he brake them from off his arms, as they had been but a thread. And Dalilah said unto Samson, hitherto thou hast beguiled me and told me lies: I pray thee yet tell me wherewith men may bind thee. And he said unto her: If thou plaitedest the seven locks of my head with an hair lace and fastenedest them with a nail. And she said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee Samson. And awaked out of his sleep, and plucked and went away with the nail that was in the plaiting and with the hair lace. Then she said unto him: How canst thou say that thou lovest me, when thine heart is not with me: for thou hast mocked me this three times, and hast not told wherein thy great strength lieth. And as she lay upon him with her words continually vexing of him, his soul was encumbered even unto the death. And he told her all his heart, and said unto her: there never came razor nor shears upon mine head, for I have been an abstainer to God even from my mother's womb. If mine hair were cut off, my strength would go from me, and I should wax and be like all other men.
¶ And when Dalilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent for the Philistines saying, come up yet this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came and brought the money in their hands. And she made him sleep upon her lap, and sent for a man, and cut off the seven locks of his head and began to vex him. But his strength was gone from him. And she said the Philistines be upon thee Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and thought to go out as at other times before and shake himself, and 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. And he was made to grind in the prison house,
¶ how be it the hair of his head began to grow again after that he was shorn. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solempne offering unto Dagon their God, and to rejoice: for they said, our God hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hands. And when the people saw him, they praised their God: for they said our God hath delivered into our hands our enemy, that destroyed our country and slew many of us. And when their hearts were merry, they said: send for Samson and let him play before us. And they fetched Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that led him by the hand: set me that I may touch the pillars that the house stands upon, and that I may lean to them. And the house was full of men and women. And there was all the lords of the Philistines. And there were upon the roof a three thousand men and women, that beheld how Samson played. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said: my Lord Iehouah think upon me, and strengthen me, at this time only o God, that I may be avenged of the Philstines for my two eyes. And Samson caught the two middle pillars on which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one in his right hand, and the other in his left, and said: my soul die with the Philistines, and bowed them with might. And the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein. And so the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life. And then his brethren and all the house of his father; came down and took him up, and brought him and buried him between Zaraah and Esthaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Chapter: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]