Judges 16:1-9

New International Version

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. ² 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.”

³ 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)

⁴ Some time later, he fell in love^(G) with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.^{(H) 5} 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)

⁶ So Delilah^(M) 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,^(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.