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.
1 abiit quoque in Gazam
et vidit ibi meretricem mulierem ingressusque est ad
eam
2 quod cum audissent Philisthim
et percrebruisset apud eos intrasse urbem Samson
circumdederunt eum positis in porta civitatis custodibus
et ibi tota nocte cum silentio praestolantes
ut facto mane exeuntem occiderent
3 dormivit autem Samson usque ad noctis medium
et inde consurgens
adprehendit ambas portae fores cum postibus suis et sera
inpositasque umeris portavit ad verticem montis
qui respicit Hebron
4 post haec amavit mulierem
quae habitabat in valle Sorech et vocabatur Dalila
5 veneruntque ad eam principes Philisthinorum atque dixerunt
decipe eum et disce ab illo in quo tantam habeat
fortitudinem
et quomodo eum superare valeamus et vinctum adfligere
quod si feceris dabimus tibi singuli mille centum argenteos
6 locuta est ergo Dalila ad Samson
dic mihi obsecro in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo
et quid sit quo ligatus erumpere nequeas
7 cui respondit Samson
si septem nervicis funibus necdum siccis et adhuc humentibus ligatus
fuero
infirmus ero ut ceteri homines
8 adtuleruntque ad eam satrapae Philisthinorum septem funes ut dixerat
quibus vinxit eum
9 latentibus apud se insidiis et in cubiculo finem rei expectantibus
clamavitque ad eum Philisthim super te Samson
qui rupit vincula
quomodo si rumpat quis filum de stuppae tortum
putamine
cum odorem ignis acceperit
et non est cognitum in quo esset fortitudo eius
10 dixitque ad eum Dalila
ecce inlusisti mihi et falsum locutus es
saltim nunc indica quo ligari debeas
11 cui ille respondit
si ligatus fuero novis funibus qui numquam fuerunt in opere
infirmus ero et aliorum hominum similis
12 quibus rursum Dalila vinxit eum et clamavit
Philisthim super te Samson
in cubiculo insidiis praeparatis
qui ita rupit vincula quasi fila telarum
13 dixitque Dalila rursum ad eum
usquequo decipis me et falsum loqueris
ostende quo vinciri debeas
si inquit septem crines capitis mei cum licio plexueris
et clavum his circumligatum terrae fixeris infirmus ero
14 quod cum fecisset Dalila dixit ad eum Philisthim super te Samson
qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio
15 dixitque ad eum Dalila
quomodo dicis quod ames me
cum animus tuus non sit mecum
per tres vices mentitus es mihi
et noluisti dicere in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo
16 cumque molesta ei esset et per multos dies iugiter
adhereret
spatium ad quietem non tribuens
defecit anima eius et ad mortem usque lassata est
17 tunc aperiens veritatem rei dixit ad eam
ferrum numquam ascendit super caput meum
quia nazareus id est consecratus Deo sum de utero matris
meae
si rasum fuerit caput meum recedet a me fortitudo mea et deficiam
eroque ut ceteri homines
18 videns illa quod confessus ei esset omnem animum suum
misit ad principes Philisthinorum atque mandavit
ascendite adhuc semel quia nunc mihi aperuit cor suum
qui ascenderunt adsumpta pecunia quam promiserant
19 at illa dormire eum fecit super genua sua
et in sinu suo reclinare caput
vocavitque tonsorem et rasit septem crines eius
et coepit abicere eum et a se repellere
statim enim ab eo fortitudo discessit
20 dixitque Philisthim super te Samson
qui de somno consurgens dixit in animo suo
egrediar sicut ante feci et me excutiam
nesciens quod Dominus recessisset ab eo
21 quem cum adprehendissent Philisthim statim eruerunt oculos eius
et duxerunt Gazam vinctum catenis
et clausum in carcere molere fecerunt
22 iamque capilli eius renasci coeperant
23 et principes Philisthinorum convenerunt in unum
ut immolarent hostias magnificas Dagon deo suo
et epularentur dicentes
tradidit deus noster inimicum nostrum Samson in manus nostras
24 quod etiam populus videns laudabat deum suum eademque dicebat
tradidit deus noster in manus nostras adversarium
qui delevit terram nostram et occidit plurimos
25 laetantesque per convivia sumptis iam epulis
praeceperunt ut vocaretur Samson et ante eos luderet
qui adductus de carcere ludebat ante eos
feceruntque eum stare inter duas columnas
26 qui dixit puero regenti gressus suos
dimitte me ut tangam columnas quibus omnis inminet domus
ut recliner super eas et paululum requiescam
27 domus autem plena erat virorum ac mulierum
et erant ibi omnes principes Philisthinorum
ac de tecto et solario circiter tria milia utriusque sexus
spectabant ludentem Samson
28 at ille invocato Domino ait Domine Deus memento mei
et redde nunc mihi pristinam fortitudinem Deus meus
ut ulciscar me de hostibus meis
et pro amissione duorum luminum unam ultionem recipiam
29 et adprehendens ambas columnas quibus innitebatur domus
alteramque earum dextera et alteram leva tenens
30 ait
moriatur anima mea cum Philisthim
concussisque fortiter columnis cecidit domus
super omnes principes et ceteram multitudinem quae ibi erat
multoque plures interfecit moriens quam ante vivus occiderat
31 descendentes autem fratres eius et universa cognatio
tulerunt corpus eius et sepelierunt
inter Saraa et Esthaol in sepulchro patris Manue
iudicavitque Israhel viginti annis