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Самсон и Далила

16 След това Самсон отиде в Газа. Там видя една блудница и влезе при нея.

(A)И съобщиха на жителите на Газа: Самсон дойде тук. И те обикаляха и цяла нощ го причакваха при градската порта; и се спотайваха цяла нощ с надежда, преди да съмне, да го убият.

А Самсон спа до среднощ; и след като стана в полунощ, хвана вратите на градската порта с двата стълба и ги изкърти заедно с лоста, вдигна ги на рамената си и ги занесе на върха на хълма, който е срещу Хеврон.

След това залюби една жена в долината Сорик на име Далила.

(B)Филистимските началници отидоха при нея и ѝ казаха: Придумай го и разбери в какво се състои огромната му сила и как можем да му надвием, и да го вържем, за да го усмирим. А ние ще ти дадем по хиляда и сто сребърника всеки.

И така, Далила каза на Самсон: Кажи ми в какво се състои голямата ти сила и с какво трябва да те вържат, за да те победят.

Самсон ѝ отговори: Ако ме вържат със седем пресни тетиви, още неизсъхнали, тогава ще стана безсилен и ще бъда като всеки друг човек.

Тогава филистимските началници ѝ донесоха седем пресни тетиви, още неизсъхнали; и тя го върза с тях.

(В това време имаше в спалнята ѝ имаше скрити хора.) И тя каза на Самсон: Филистимците те нападат, Самсоне! А той скъса тетивите, както се къса връв от кълчища, когато се допре[a] до огън. И не можаха да узнаят колко беше силата му.

10 След това Далила каза на Самсон: Ти се подигра с мен и ме излъга. Сега ми кажи с какво трябва да те вържат.

11 А той отговори: Ако ме вържат здраво с нови, неупотребявани въжета, тогава ще стана безсилен и ще бъда като всеки друг човек.

12 И така, Далила намери нови въжета, върза го с тях и му каза: Филистимците те нападат, Самсоне! (И имаше скрити хора, причакващи в спалнята ѝ). А Самсон ги скъса от ръцете си като нишка.

13 Тогава Далила каза на Самсон: Непрекъснато ми се подиграваш и ме лъжеш. Кажи ми с какво трябва да те вържат. А той отговори: Трябва да втъчеш седемте плитки на главата ми в тъканта, която тъчеш.

14 И тя ги втъка и заклини стана; тогава му каза: Филистимците те нападат, Самсоне! А той се събуди от съня си и изтръгна клина на стана заедно с тъканта.

15 (C)Тогава Далила му каза: Как можеш да казваш: Обичам те, като сърцето ти не е с мен? Ето, три пъти ти ме излъга и не ми разкри в какво се състои огромната ти сила.

16 И понеже му досаждаше всеки ден с думите си и толкова настояваше пред него, на края душата му се отегчи до смърт.

17 (D)Тогава той ѝ откри цялото си сърце: Бръснач не е минавал през главата ми, защото аз съм назорей на Бога още от утробата на майка си. Ако се обръсна, тогава силата ми ще се оттегли от мен и ще отслабна, ще стана като всеки друг човек.

Пленяването на Самсон

18 Щом Далила видя, че Самсон ѝ разкри всичко, прати да повикат филистимските началници и им каза: Елате още веднъж, защото той ми разкри цялото си сърце. Тогава филистимските началници дойдоха при нея и ѝ донесоха парите.

19 (E)И тя приспа Самсон на коленете си, повика човек да обръсне седемте плитки на главата му; и след това започна да го оскърбява. И силата му се оттегли от него.

20 (F)Тогава тя каза: Филистимците те нападат, Самсоне! И той се събуди от съня си и си каза: Ще изляза, както друг път, и ще се отърва. Той обаче не знаеше, че Господ се беше оттеглил от него.

21 Така филистимците го хванаха, избодоха очите му и като го отведоха в Газа, го оковаха с медни вериги. И той мелеше в тъмницата.

22 Но космите на главата му започнаха пак да растат след бръсненето.

Отмъщението и смъртта на Самсон

23 Филистимските началници се събраха, за да принесат голяма жертва на бога си Дагон и да се повеселят, защото си казаха: Нашият бог предаде в ръцете ни неприятеля ни Самсон.

24 (G)Когато народът видя Самсон, всички хвалеха бога си: Нашият бог предаде в ръцете ни неприятеля ни, опустошителя на земята ни, който е убил мнозина от нас.

25 (H)И когато се развеселиха сърцата им, предложиха: Повикайте Самсон, нека се подиграем[b] с него. И така, доведоха Самсон от тъмницата и той стана за присмех пред тях. След това го поставиха между колоните на къщата.

26 Тогава Самсон каза на момченцето, което го водеше: Заведи ме да напипам колоните, на които се крепи къщата, за да се подпра на тях.

27 (I)А къщата беше пълна с мъже и жени. Там бяха всички филистимски началници и на покрива имаше около три хиляди мъже и жени, които гледаха Самсон, който се беше превърнал в посмешище.

28 (J)Тогава Самсон извика към Господа: Господи Йехова, спомни си за мен и ме подкрепи само още веднъж, Боже, за да отмъстя на филистимците поне за двете си очи.

29 След това Самсон прегърна двата средни стълба, на които се крепеше къщата, опря се на тях – на единия с дясната си ръка, а на другия с лявата.

30 И каза: Нека умра с филистимците. След това наблегна с всичката си сила и къщата падна върху началниците и върху целия народ, който беше в нея. Така умрелите, които Самсон уби при смъртта си, бяха повече от онези, които беше убил през живота си.

31 (K)Братята му и целият му бащин дом дойдоха и като взеха тялото му, занесоха го и го погребаха в гроба на баща му Маное, между Сарая и Естаол. И Самсон беше съдия над Израил за двадесет години.

Footnotes

  1. 16:9 От евр. когато помирише.
  2. 16:25 От евр. да стане за подигравка.

Samson and Delilah

16 One day Samson(A) went to Gaza,(B) where he saw a prostitute.(C) He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate.(D) They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn(E) we’ll kill him.”

But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.(F)

Some time later, he fell in love(G) with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.(H) The rulers of the Philistines(I) went to her and said, “See if you can lure(J) him into showing you the secret of his great strength(K) and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.”(L)

So Delilah(M) said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”

Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room,(N) she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”(O) But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me;(P) you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.”

11 He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes(Q) that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.”

12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”(R) But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.

13 Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.”

He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric 14 and[b] tightened it with the pin.

Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”(S) He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.

15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’(T) when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time(U) you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.(V) 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

17 So he told her everything.(W) “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite(X) dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines(Y), “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.(Z) 19 After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him.[c] And his strength left him.(AA)

20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”(AB)

He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.(AC)

21 Then the Philistines(AD) seized him, gouged out his eyes(AE) and took him down to Gaza.(AF) Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain(AG) in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

The Death of Samson

23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon(AH) their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”

24 When the people saw him, they praised their god,(AI) saying,

“Our god has delivered our enemy
    into our hands,(AJ)
the one who laid waste our land
    and multiplied our slain.”

25 While they were in high spirits,(AK) they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.

When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof(AL) were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord,(AM) “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge(AN) on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

31 Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah(AO) his father. He had led[d](AP) Israel twenty years.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 16:5 That is, about 28 pounds or about 13 kilograms
  2. Judges 16:14 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew replied, “I can if you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom.” 14 So she
  3. Judges 16:19 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and he began to weaken
  4. Judges 16:31 Traditionally judged

Sansón y Dalila

16 Un día Sansón fue a Gaza, donde vio a una prostituta. Entonces entró para pasar la noche con ella. Al pueblo de Gaza se le anunció: «¡Sansón ha venido aquí!» Así que rodearon el lugar y toda la noche estuvieron al acecho junto a la puerta de la ciudad. Se quedaron quietos durante toda la noche diciéndose: «Lo mataremos al amanecer».

Pero Sansón estuvo acostado allí hasta la medianoche; luego se levantó y arrancó las puertas de la entrada de la ciudad, junto con sus dos postes, con cerrojo y todo. Se las echó al hombro y las llevó hasta la cima del monte que está frente a Hebrón.

Pasado algún tiempo, Sansón se enamoró de una mujer del valle de Sorec, que se llamaba Dalila. Los jefes de los filisteos fueron a verla y le dijeron: «Sedúcelo, para que te revele el secreto de su tremenda fuerza y cómo podemos vencerlo, de modo que lo atemos y lo tengamos sometido. Cada uno de nosotros te dará mil cien monedas de plata».[a]

Dalila le dijo a Sansón:

―Dime el secreto de tu tremenda fuerza, y cómo se te puede atar y dominar.

Sansón le respondió:

―Si se me ata con siete cuerdas de arco[b] que todavía no estén secas, me debilitaré y seré como cualquier otro hombre.

Los jefes de los filisteos le trajeron a ella siete cuerdas de arco que aún no se habían secado, y Dalila lo ató con ellas. Estando unos hombres al acecho en el cuarto, ella le gritó:

―¡Sansón, los filisteos se lanzan sobre ti!

Pero él rompió las cuerdas como quien rompe un pedazo de cuerda chamuscada. De modo que no se descubrió el secreto de su fuerza.

10 Dalila le dijo a Sansón:

―¡Te burlaste de mí! ¡Me dijiste mentiras! Vamos, dime cómo se te puede atar.

11 ―Si se me ata firmemente con sogas nuevas, sin usar —le dijo él—, me debilitaré y seré como cualquier otro hombre.

12 Mientras algunos filisteos estaban al acecho en el cuarto, Dalila tomó sogas nuevas y lo ató, y luego le gritó:

―¡Sansón, los filisteos se lanzan sobre ti!

Pero él rompió las sogas que ataban sus brazos, como quien rompe un hilo.

13 Entonces Dalila le dijo a Sansón:

―¡Hasta ahora te has burlado de mí, y me has dicho mentiras! Dime cómo se te puede atar.

―Si entretejes las siete trenzas de mi cabello con la tela del telar, y aseguras esta con la clavija —respondió él—, me debilitaré y seré como cualquier otro hombre.

Entonces, mientras él dormía, Dalila tomó las siete trenzas de Sansón, las entretejió con la tela 14 y[c] las aseguró con la clavija.

Una vez más ella le gritó: «¡Sansón, los filisteos se lanzan sobre ti!» Sansón despertó de su sueño y arrancó la clavija y el telar, junto con la tela.

15 Entonces ella le dijo: «¿Cómo puedes decir que me amas, si no confías en mí? Ya van tres veces que te burlas de mí, y aún no me has dicho el secreto de tu tremenda fuerza».

16 Como todos los días lo presionaba con sus palabras, y lo acosaba hasta hacerlo sentirse harto de la vida, 17 al fin se lo dijo todo. «Nunca ha pasado navaja sobre mi cabeza —le explicó—, porque soy nazareo, consagrado a Dios desde antes de nacer. Si se me afeitara la cabeza, perdería mi fuerza, y llegaría a ser tan débil como cualquier otro hombre».

18 Cuando Dalila se dio cuenta de que esta vez le había confiado todo, mandó llamar a los jefes de los filisteos, y les dijo: «Volved una vez más, que él me lo ha confiado todo». Entonces los gobernantes de los filisteos regresaron a ella con la plata que le habían ofrecido. 19 Después de hacerlo dormir sobre sus rodillas, ella llamó a un hombre para que le cortara las siete trenzas de su cabello. Así comenzó a dominarlo. Y su fuerza lo abandonó.

20 Luego ella gritó: «¡Sansón, los filisteos se lanzan sobre ti!»

Sansón despertó de su sueño y pensó: «Me escaparé como las otras veces, y me los quitaré de encima». Pero no sabía que el Señor lo había abandonado.

21 Entonces los filisteos lo capturaron, le arrancaron los ojos y lo llevaron a Gaza. Lo sujetaron con cadenas de bronce, y lo pusieron a moler en la cárcel. 22 Pero, en cuanto le cortaron el cabello, le comenzó a crecer de nuevo.

Muerte de Sansón

23 Los jefes de los filisteos se reunieron para festejar y ofrecerle un gran sacrificio a Dagón, su dios, diciendo:

«Nuestro dios ha entregado en nuestras manos
    a Sansón, nuestro enemigo».

24 Cuando el pueblo lo vio, todos alabaron a su dios diciendo:

«Nuestro dios ha entregado en nuestras manos
    a nuestro enemigo,
al que asolaba nuestra tierra
    y multiplicaba nuestras víctimas».

25 Cuando ya estaban muy alegres, gritaron: «¡Sacad a Sansón para que nos divierta!» Así que sacaron a Sansón de la cárcel, y él les sirvió de diversión.

Cuando lo pusieron de pie entre las columnas, 26 Sansón le dijo al muchacho que lo llevaba de la mano: «Ponme donde pueda tocar las columnas que sostienen el templo, para que me pueda apoyar en ellas». 27 En ese momento el templo estaba lleno de hombres y mujeres; todos los jefes de los filisteos estaban allí, y en la parte alta había unos tres mil hombres y mujeres que se divertían a costa de Sansón. 28 Entonces Sansón oró al Señor: «Oh Soberano Señor, acuérdate de mí. Oh Dios, te ruego que me fortalezcas solo una vez más, y déjame de una vez por todas vengarme de los filisteos por haberme sacado los ojos». 29 Luego Sansón palpó las dos columnas centrales que sostenían el templo y se apoyó contra ellas, la mano derecha sobre una y la izquierda sobre la otra. 30 Y gritó: «¡Muera yo junto con los filisteos!» Luego empujó con toda su fuerza, y el templo se vino abajo sobre los jefes y sobre toda la gente que estaba allí. Fueron muchos más los que Sansón mató al morir que los que había matado mientras vivía.

31 Sus hermanos y toda la familia de su padre descendieron para recogerlo. Lo llevaron de regreso y lo sepultaron entre Zora y Estaol, en la tumba de su padre Manoa. Sansón había gobernado a Israel durante veinte años.

Footnotes

  1. 16:5 mil cien monedas de plata. Lit. mil cien [siclos] de plata.
  2. 16:7 cuerdas de arco. Alt. correas nuevas; también en vv. 8 y 9.
  3. 16:13-14 —Si entretejes … la tela 14 y (algunos mss. de LXX); —Hay que entretejer las siete trenzas de mi cabello en la tela del telar —respondió él. / 14 Así que ella (TM).

16 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

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.

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.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

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.

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

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.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

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.

Samson and Delilah

16 Now Samson went to (A)Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they (B)surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the (C)lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, (D)“Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.”

And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.”

11 So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with (E)new ropes [a]that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

12 Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.

13 Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.”

And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”—

14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.

15 Then she said to him, (F)“How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies. 16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was [b]vexed to death, 17 that he (G)told her all his heart, and said to her, (H)“No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. 19 (I)Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then [c]she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord (J)had departed from him.

21 Then the Philistines took him and [d]put out his (K)eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. 22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.

Samson Dies with the Philistines

23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to (L)Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said:

“Our god has delivered into our hands
Samson our enemy!”

24 When the people saw him, they (M)praised their god; for they said:

“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy,
The destroyer of our land,
And the one who multiplied our dead.”

25 So it happened, when their hearts were (N)merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 26 Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three thousand men and women on the (O)roof watching while Samson performed.

28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, (P)remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

31 And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and (Q)buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel (R)twenty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 16:11 Lit. with which work has never been done
  2. Judges 16:16 Lit. impatient to the point of
  3. Judges 16:19 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX he began to be weak,
  4. Judges 16:21 Lit. bored out