4
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek,
whose name was Delilah. 5 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. 6 And Delilah
said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and
wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. 7 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. 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her
seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 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. 10
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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 And it came to pass, when she
pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto
death; 17 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.
18 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. 19 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. 20 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. 21 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.
22 Howbeit the hair
of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. 23 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. 24 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. 25 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. 26 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. 27 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. 28 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. 29 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. 30 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. 31
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.