²³ Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to ^(A)Dagon their god and to be glad; and they said,

²⁴ Then the people saw him and ^(B)praised their god, for they said,

²⁵ So it happened when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may amuse us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he ^[a]entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars. ²⁶ Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house is established, that I may lean against them.” ²⁷ Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.

Samson’s Revenge

^28 (C)Then Samson called to Yahweh and said, “O Lord Yahweh, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once ^(D)be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” ²⁹ Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house was established and supported himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left. ³⁰ And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with his strength so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he put to death by his death were more than those whom he put to death in his life.

⁸ Now it happened on the next day, that the Philistines came to strip the slain, and they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ^9 (A)So they stripped him and took his head and his weapons and sent them all around the land of the Philistines, to proclaim the good news to their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ And they placed his weapons in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.