Samson at Gaza escapeth, and carrieth away the gates of the city.

1 ¶ Then went¹ª² Samsonº to Gaza,º and sawºª there² an harlot,ººª and went inºª unto² her. 2 [And it was told] the Gazites,º saying,ºª Samsonº is comeºª hither.² And they compassed² [him] in,¹ª and laid waitºª for him all² nightº in the gateº of the city,º and were quietºª all² the night,º saying,ºª In the morning,º when² it is day,º we shall killºª him. 3 And Samsonº layºª till² midnight,ºº and aroseºª at midnight,ºº and tookºª the doorsº of the gateº of the city,º and the twoº posts,º and went awayºª with them, bar¹ and all,²² and putºª [them] upon² his shoulders,º and carried them upºª to² the topº of an hillº that² [is] beforeº² Hebron.º

Delilah, corrupted by the Philistines, enticeth Samson.

4 ¶ And it came to pass² afterward,º² that he lovedºª a womanº in the valleyº of Sorek,º whose nameº [was] Delilah.º 5 And the lordsº of the Philistinesº came upºª unto² her, and saidºª unto her, Enticeºª him, and seeºª wherein² his greatº strengthº [lieth], and by what² [means] we may prevailºª against him, that we may bindºª him to afflictºª him: and we² will giveºª thee every oneº of us eleven hundredºº [pieces] of silver.º

Thrice she is deceived.

6 ¶ And Delilahº saidºª to² Samson,º Tellºª me, I pray thee,² wherein² thy greatº strengthº [lieth], and wherewith² thou mightest be boundºª to afflictºª thee. 7 And Samsonº saidºª unto² her, If² they bindºª me with sevenº greenº withsº that² were never² dried,ºª then shall I be weak,ºª and be² as anotherº man.º 8 Then the lordsº of the Philistinesº brought upºª to her sevenº greenº withsº which² had not² been dried,ºª and she boundºª him with them. 9 Now [there were] men lying in wait,ºª abidingºª with her in the chamber.º And she saidºª unto² him, The Philistinesº [be] upon² thee, Samson.º And he brakeºª² the withs,º as² a threadº of towº is brokenºª when it touchethºª the fire.º So his strengthº was not² known.ºª 10 And Delilahº saidºª unto² Samson,º Behold,² thou hast mockedºª me, and toldºª² me lies:º now² tellºª me, I pray thee,² wherewith² thou mightest be bound.ºª 11 And he saidºª unto² her, If² they bind¹ª me fastºª with newº ropesº that² never² were occupied,ººª then shall I be weak,ºª and be² as anotherº man.º 12 Delilahº therefore tookºª newº ropes,º and boundºª him therewith, and saidºª unto² him, The Philistinesº [be] upon² thee, Samson.º And [there were] liers in waitºª abidingºª in the chamber.º And he brakeºª them from off²² his armsº like a thread.º 13 And Delilahº saidºª unto² Samson,º Hithertoº² thou hast mockedºª me, and toldºª² me lies:¹² tellºª me wherewith² thou mightest be bound.ºª And he saidºª unto² her, If² thou weavestºª² the sevenº locksº of my headº with² the web.º 14 And she fastenedºª [it] with the pin,º and saidºª unto² him, The Philistinesº [be] upon² thee, Samson.º And he awakedºª out of his sleep,º² and went awayºª² with the pinº of the beam,º and with the web.º

At last she overcometh him.

15 ¶ And she saidºª unto² him, Howº canst thou say,ºª I loveºª thee, when thine heartº [is] not² with² me? thou hast mockedºª me these threeº times,º and hast not² toldºª me wherein² thy greatº strengthº [lieth]. 16 And it came to pass,² when² she pressedºª him dailyº² with her words,º and urgedºª him, [so] that his soulº was vexedºª unto death;ºª 17 That he toldºª her² all² his heart,º and saidºª unto her, There hath not² comeºª a razorº upon² mine head;º for² I² [have been] a Nazariteº unto Godº from my mother'sº womb:º² if² I be shaven,ºª then my strengthº will goºª from² me, and I shall become weak,ºª and be² like any² [other] man.º 18 And when Delilahº sawºª that² he had toldºª her² all² his heart,º she sentºª and calledºª for the lordsº of the Philistines,º saying,ºª Come upºª this once,º for² he hath shewedºª me² all² his heart.º Then the lordsº of the Philistinesº came upºª unto² her, and broughtºª moneyº in their hand.º 19 And she made him sleepºª upon² her knees;º and she calledºª for a man,º and she caused him to shave offºª² the sevenº locksº of his head;º and she beganºª to afflictºª him, and his strengthº wentºª from²² him. 20 And she said,ºª The Philistinesº [be] upon² thee, Samson.º And he awokeºª out of his sleep,º² and said,ºª I will go outºª as at other times before,º and shake¹ª myself.² And he² wistºª not² that² the LORDº was departedºª from²² him.

The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes.

21 ¶ But the Philistinesº tookºª him, and put outºª² his eyes,º and brought him downºª² to Gaza,º and boundºª him with fetters of brass;º and he did² grindºª in the prison¹ª² house.º

His strength renewing, he pulleth down the house upon the Philistines, and dieth.

22 Howbeit the hairº of his headº beganºª to grow againºª afterº he was shaven.ºª 23 Then the lordsº of the Philistinesº gathered them togetherºª for to offerºª a greatº sacrificeº unto Dagonº their god,º and to rejoice:º for they said,ºª Our godº hath deliveredºª² Samsonº our enemyºª into our hand.º 24 And when the peopleº sawºª him, they praisedºª² their god:º for² they said,ºª Our godº hath deliveredºª into our handsº² our enemy,ºª and the destroyerºª of our country,º which² slew¹ manyºª²² of us. 25 And it came to pass,² when² their heartsº were merry,º that they said,ºª Callºª for Samson,º that he may make us sport.ºª And they calledºª for Samsonº out of the prison¹ª house;º²² and he made them¹ sport:ºª² and they setºª him between² the pillars.º 26 And Samsonº saidºª unto² the ladº that heldºª him by the hand,º Suffer¹ª² me that I may feelºªª¹² the pillarsº whereupon²² the houseº standeth,ºª that I may leanºª upon² them. 27 Now the houseº was fullºª of men¹² and women;º and all² the lordsº of the Philistinesº [were] there;² and [there were] upon² the roofº about threeº thousandº menº and women,º that beheldºª while Samsonº made sport.ºª 28 And Samsonº calledºª unto² the LORD,º and said,ºª O Lordº GOD,º rememberºª me, I pray thee,² and strengthenºª me, I pray thee,² only² this² once,º O God,º that I may be at once¹ avengedººª² of the Philistinesº² for my twoº² eyes.º 29 And Samsonº took holdºª of² the twoº middleº pillarsº upon² which² the houseº stood,ºª and on² which it was borne up,ºª of the oneº with his right hand,º and of the otherº with his left.º 30 And Samsonº said,ºª Let me² dieºª¹ with² the Philistines.º And he bowedºª himself with [all his] might;º and the houseº fellºª upon² the lords,º and upon² all² the peopleº that² [were] therein. So the deadºª which² he slewºª at his deathº were² moreº than [they] which²² he slewºª in his life.º 31 Then his brethrenº and all² the houseº of his fatherº came down,ºª and tookºª him, and brought [him] up,ºª and buriedºª him between² Zorahº and Eshtaolº in the buryingplaceº of Manoahº his father.º And he² judgedºª² Israelº twentyº years.º