‏ Judges 16

CHAPTER 16

Samson Carries Away the Gates of the City

1And Samson went into Gaza, and saw there a woman harlot, and he entered to her. 2And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, Samson comes here. And they encircled, and laid in wait for him the entire night at the gate of the city. And they were silent the entire   night, saying, [²until ³light shows through   ⁴at dawn ¹We should wait], and we should kill him. 3And Samson went to bed until midnight. And he rose up at half the night, and he took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two doorposts, and carried them with the bar, and put them  upon his shoulders, and bore them upon the top of the mountain which is at the face of Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

4And it came to pass after this, that he loved a woman by the rushing stream Sorek, and her name was Delilah. 5And [⁵ascended ⁶to ⁷her ¹the ²satraps ³of the ⁴Philistines], and said to her, Beguile him, and see by what means    [³strength ¹his ⁴is   ²great], and by what means  we shall be able to prevail against him, and tie him so as to humble him. And we will give to you by man a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver. 6And Delilah said to Samson, Explain indeed to me by what means    [³strength is  ¹your   ²great]! and by what means  you shall be tied so as  to humble you? 7And [²said ³to ⁴her ¹Samson], If they should tie me with seven [²strings of a bow ¹wet] that are not ruined, then I will be weakened, and I will be as one of the men. 8And [⁵brought ⁶to her ¹the ²satraps ³of the ⁴Philistines] seven [²strings of a bow ¹wet] not ruined. And she tied him with them. 9And the ambush sat down for him in the storeroom. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he tore up the strings of the bow in which manner one pulls apart yarn of hemp in   its smelling of fire, and [²was not ³made known   ¹his strength]. 10And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you misled me, and you spoke to me by lying. Now then report to me!   how you shall be tied. 11And he said to her, If by binding, they should tie me by [²ropes ¹new] which were not used  in   work, then I shall be weak, and I will be as one of the men. 12And Delilah took [²ropes ¹new], and tied him with them. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And the ambush sat in the storeroom. And he pulled them from   his arms as thread. 13And Delilah said to Samson, Until now you misled me, and spoke to me lying. Announce indeed to me! by what means  you shall be tied. And he said to her, If you should weave the seven strands of hair    of my head with the warp, and hammer with the peg into the wall, then I will be weak as one of the men. 14And it came to pass in   his going to sleep, that Delilah took the seven strands   of his head, and weaved them  with the warp, and pinned them  to the peg into the wall. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he was awakened from   his sleep, and he pulled out the pegs in the woven work from out of the wall, and the warp; for he did not know   his strength. 15And [²said ³to ⁴him ¹Delilah], How do you say, I love you, and   your heart is not with me? This third time  you misled me, and did not report to me by what means    [³strength is  ¹your   ²great]. 16And it came to pass when she worked him by   her words the whole   night, and troubled him, so that he was faint-hearted unto   death. 17And he reported to her all the things  from his heart. And said to her, A razor shall not ascend upon   my head, for [³a Nazarite ⁴of God ¹I ²am] from the belly of my mother; and if I should be shaven, [²shall leave ³from ⁴me   ¹my strength], and I shall be weakened, and I will be as all the men. 18And Delilah knew that he reported to her all   his heart. And she sent and called the satraps of the Philistines, saying, Ascend   this once! for he reported to me all   his heart. And ascended up to her all the satraps of the Philistines, and they brought the silver into   her hands. 19And she rested him between   her knees. And she called the barber, and he shaved the seven curls   of his head; and it began to humble him, and [²left   ¹his strength] from him.

Samson Is Taken Captive and Blinded

20And Delilah said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he was awakened from out of   his sleep. And he said, I shall go forth, and I shall do as continually before, and I shall brush myself off. And he did not know that the lord  left from him. 21And [³took hold of ⁴him ¹the ²Philistines], and gouged out   his eyes, and carried him unto Gaza. And they bound him with shackles of brass, and he was grinding in the house of the prison. 22And [³began   ¹the hair   ²of his head] to grow, as he was shaven. 23And the rulers of the Philistines came together   to sacrifice [²sacrifice ¹a great] to  Dagon   their god, and   to be merry. And they said, [²delivered   ¹Our god] into our hand Samson   our enemy. 24And [³saw ⁴him ¹the ²people], and they praised   their god, for they said, [²delivered   ¹Our god]   our enemy into our hands, the one making [²quite desolate   ¹our land], who multiplied   our slain. 25And it came to pass when [²was feeling good   ¹their heart], that they said, Call   Samson from out of the house of the prison, and let him play before us! And they called   Samson from out of the house of the jail, and they sported with him. And they stood him in between the two posts. 26And Samson said to the young man   leading him by the hand, Allow me! for I should handle the monumental pillars upon of which the house stays upon them. 27And the house was full of the men and women, and [⁶were there ¹all ²the ³satraps ⁴of the ⁵Philistines]. And upon the roof were about three thousand men and women, looking at and mocking   Samson. 28And Samson yelled to the lord, and said, O lord, O lord, remember me, and strengthen me indeed besides! even   this once O God, and I will avenge [²vengeance ¹one] against   [⁴two ⁵eyes ³for my ¹the ²Philistines]. 29And Samson took hold of the two posts in the midst upon which the house stood, and he stayed against them, one at   his right hand, and one at   at his left.

Samson Pulls Down the House of the Philistines

30And Samson said, Let [²die   ¹my soul] with the Philistines. And he leaned in strength, and [³fell ¹the ²house] upon the satraps, and upon all the people   in it. And [⁶were ¹the ones ²having died ³whom ⁵put to death ⁴Samson] in   his death many over whom he put to death in   his life. 31And [²went down   ¹his brothers], and all the house   of his father, and they took him, and they ascended and entombed him between Zorah and between Esthaol in the burying-place of Manoah   his father. And he judged   Israel twenty years.