A Strong Man Who Lost His Streng

Afterward, Samson fell in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek,

named Delilah. Then the rulers of the Philistines came to her and said,

"Find out by teasing him how it is that his strength is so great and

how we may overpower and bind him that we may torture him. Then we will

each one of us give you eleven hundred pieces of silver." So Delilah

said to Samson, "Tell me how it is that your strength is so great and

ho you might be bound to torture you?" Samson said to her, "If they

should bind me with seven green bowstrings which have not been dried, I

would become weak like any other man."



Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven green bowstrings

which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. She had the men

lying in wait in the inner room, but when she said to him, "The

Philistines are upon you, Samson!" he snapped the bowstrings as a piece

of yarn is snapped when it comes near the fire; so they did not find out

the secret of his strength.



Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have deceived me and lied to me; now

tell me with what you can be bound fast." He said to her, "If they

should bind me securely with new ropes with which no work has been done,

I would become weak like any other man." So Delilah took new ropes and

bound him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you,

Samson!" Men were also lying in wait in the inner room; but he snapped

the ropes from his arms like thread.



Again Delilah said to Samson, "So far you have deceived me and lied to

me; tell me now with what you can be bound fast." He said to her, "If

you should weave the seven braids on my head along with the web and beat

it into form with the weaving pin, I would become weak like any other

man." So while he was asleep, she took the seven braids of his hair and

wove it with the web and beat it into form with the pin, and said to

him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke out of his

sleep and pulled up the loom and the web.



Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you do not

trust me? You have deceived me three times already and have not told me

the secret of your great strength." But in time, since she daily begged

and urged him, he was wearied to death, and told her all that he knew,

saying, "A razor has never touched my head; for I have belonged to God

from my birth. If I should be shaved, my strength would be gone, and I

would become weak like any other man."



When Delilah saw that he had told her all that he knew, she sent and

called for the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Come at once, for

he has told me all that he knows." Then the rulers of the Philistines

came up to her and brought the money with them. After she had put Samson

to sleep on her knees, she called for a man and had him shave off the

seven braids on his head. Then she began to tease him, and his strength

went from him; and she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And

he awoke out of his sleep and thought, "I will get up as I have done at

other times and shake myself free"; for he did not know that Jehovah had

left him. So the Philistines seized him and bored out his eyes. Then

they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with chains of brass, and

then he was set to grinding in the prison. But the hair of his head

began to grow again as soon as he was shaved.



Then the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice

to their god Dagon and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god has given

Samson, our enemy, into our power." When the people saw him, they also

praised their god, saying:



"Our god has laid low our foe,

He who brought our country woe,

He who slew us with many a blow."



When they were in high spirits, they said, "Call Samson that he may

amuse us." So they called Samson from the prison and he amused them; and

they placed him between the pillars.



Then Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, "Let me

touch the pillars on which the building rests, that I may lean against

them." Now the building was full of men and women, and all the rulers of

the Philistines were there, and on the roof about three thousand men and

women were looking on while Samson amused them. Samson called on Jehovah

and said, "O Jehovah, remember me and strengthen me, I pray thee, just

this once, O God, that by one act I may avenge myself on the Philistines

for the loss of my two eyes."



Then Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the building

rested, one with his right hand and the other with his left, and leaned

against them. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then

he bent over with all his strength, and the house fell upon the rulers

and upon all the people who were in it. So those whom he killed at his

death were more than those whom he killed during his lifetime.



Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him away and

buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his

father.