⁴ Some time later, he fell in love^(A) with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.^{(B) 5} The rulers of the Philistines^(C) went to her and said, “See if you can lure^(D) him into showing you the secret of his great strength^(E) 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.”^(F)

⁶ So Delilah^(G) said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

⁷ 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.”

⁸ Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. ⁹ With men hidden in the room,^(H) she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”^(I) 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;^(J) you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.”

¹¹ He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes^(K) 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!”^(L) 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!”^(M) 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,’^(N) when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time^(O) you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.^(P)” ¹⁶ With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

¹⁷ So he told her everything.^(Q) “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite^(R) 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^(S), “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands.^{(T) 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.^(U)

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

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.^(W)

²¹ Then the Philistines^(X) seized him, gouged out his eyes^(Y) and took him down to Gaza.^(Z) Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain^(AA) 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^(AB) 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,^(AC) saying,

²⁵ While they were in high spirits,^(AE) 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^(AF) were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. ²⁸ Then Samson prayed to the Lord,^(AG) “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge^(AH) 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^(AI) his father. He had led^[d](AJ) Israel twenty years.^(AK)

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.^{(A) 2} Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,^(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.^{(C) 3} Continue to remember those in prison^(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

⁴ Marriage should be honored by all,^(E) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.^{(F) 5} Keep your lives free from the love of money^(G) and be content with what you have,^(H) because God has said,

⁶ So we say with confidence,

⁷ Remember your leaders,^(K) who spoke the word of God^(L) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate^(M) their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.^(N)

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.^(O) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened^(P) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,^(Q) which is of no benefit to those who do so.^{(R) 10} We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle^(S) have no right to eat.^(T)

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,^(U) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.^{(V) 12} And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate^(W) to make the people holy^(X) through his own blood.^{(Y) 13} Let us, then, go to him^(Z) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.^{(AA) 14} For here we do not have an enduring city,^(AB) but we are looking for the city that is to come.^(AC)

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice^(AD) of praise—the fruit of lips^(AE) that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others,^(AF) for with such sacrifices^(AG) God is pleased.

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders^(AH) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you^(AI) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us.^(AJ) We are sure that we have a clear conscience^(AK) and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.^(AL)

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰ Now may the God of peace,^(AM) who through the blood of the eternal covenant^(AN) brought back from the dead^(AO) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,^{(AP) 21} equip you with everything good for doing his will,^(AQ) and may he work in us^(AR) what is pleasing to him,^(AS) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AT)

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.^(AU)

²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy^(AV) has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders^(AW) and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy^(AX) send you their greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.^(AY)

The Festival of Weeks^(A)

⁹ Count off seven weeks^(B) from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.^{(C) 10} Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. ¹¹ And rejoice^(D) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(E)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites^(F) in your towns, and the foreigners,^(G) the fatherless and the widows living among you.^{(H) 12} Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,^(I) and follow carefully these decrees.

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,^(A) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.^(B) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor^[a](C) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.^{(D) 26} He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila^(E) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(F) the brothers and sisters^(G) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures^(H) that Jesus was the Messiah.^(I)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos^(J) was at Corinth,^(K) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.^(L) There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit^(M) when^[b] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism^(N) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”^{(O) 5} On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^{(P) 6} When Paul placed his hands on them,^(Q) the Holy Spirit came on them,^(R) and they spoke in tongues^[c](S) and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.