Judg 16 | ABEn | STEP | And Samson went into Gaza, and saw there a woman harlot, and he entered to her.

Judges 16

CHAPTER 16 Samson Carries Away the Gates of the City

1 And Samson went into Gaza, and saw there a woman harlot, and he entered to her. 2 And 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. 3 And 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

4 And it came to pass after this, that he loved a woman by the rushing stream Sorek, and her name was Delilah. 5 And [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. 6 And 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? 7 And [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. 8 And [⁵brought ⁶to her ¹the ²satraps ³of the ⁴Philistines] seven [²strings of a bow ¹wet] not ruined. And she tied him with them. 9 And 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]. 10 And 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. 11 And 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. 12 And 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. 13 And 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. 14 And 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. 15 And [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]. 16 And 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. 17 And 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. 18 And 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. 19 And 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

20 And 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. 21 And [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. 22 And [³began ¹the hair ²of his head] to grow, as he was shaven. 23 And 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. 24 And [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. 25 And 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. 26 And 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. 27 And 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. 28 And 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]. 29 And 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

30 And 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. 31 And [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.