Judges 16
1. Then went * Samson to Gaza, and saw * there an harlot * , and went in * unto her.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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.
