Chapter 16

¹ Once Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and visited her. ² The people of Gaza were told, “Samson has come here,” and they surrounded him with an ambush at the city gate all night long. And all the night they waited, saying, “At morning light we will kill him.” ³ Samson lay there until midnight. Then he rose at midnight, seized the doors of the city gate and the two gateposts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He hoisted them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the ridge opposite Hebron.

Samson and Delilah. ⁴ After that he fell in love with a woman in the Wadi Sorek whose name was Delilah. ^5 (A)The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said, “Trick him and find out where he gets his great strength, and how we may overcome and bind him so as to make him helpless. Then for our part, we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

⁶ So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me where you get your great strength and how you may be bound so as to be made helpless.” ⁷ “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not dried,” Samson answered her, “I shall grow weaker and be like anyone else.” ⁸ So the lords of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not dried, and she bound him with them. ⁹ She had men lying in wait in the room, and she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings as a thread of tow is snapped by a whiff of flame; and his strength remained unexplained.

¹⁰ Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and told me lies. Now tell me how you may be bound.” ¹¹ “If they bind me tight with new ropes, with which no work has been done,” he answered her, “I shall grow weaker and be like anyone else.” ¹² So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them. Then she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For there were men lying in wait in the room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.

¹³ Delilah said to Samson again, “Up to now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you may be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my hair into the web and fasten them with the pin, I shall grow weaker and be like anyone else.” ¹⁴ So when he went to bed, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web, and fastened them with the pin. Then she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Awakening from his sleep, he pulled out both the loom and the web.

^15 (B)Then she said to him, “How can you say ‘I love you’ when your heart is not mine? Three times already you have mocked me, and not told me where you get your great strength!” ^16 (C)She pressed him continually and pestered him till he was deathly weary of it. ¹⁷ So he told her all that was in his heart and said, “No razor has touched my head, for I have been a nazirite for God from my mother’s womb.^(D) If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I shall grow weaker and be like anyone else.” ¹⁸ When Delilah realized that he had told her all that was in his heart, she summoned the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this time, for he has told me all that is in his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came to her and brought the money with them.^{(E) 19} She put him to sleep on her lap, and called for a man who shaved off the seven locks of his hair. He immediately became helpless, for his strength had left him.^{[a] 20} When she said “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” he woke from his sleep and thought, “I will go out as I have done time and again and shake myself free.” He did not realize that the Lord had left him. ²¹ But the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze fetters, and he was put to grinding grain in the prison. ²² But the hair of his head began to grow as soon as it was shaved.

The Death of Samson. ^23 (F)The lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon^[b] and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our power.” ²⁴ When the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said,

²⁵ When their spirits were high, they said, “Call Samson that he may amuse us.” So they called Samson from the prison, and he provided amusement for them. They made him stand between the columns, ²⁶ and Samson said to the attendant who was holding his hand, “Put me where I may touch the columns that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” ²⁷ The temple was full of men and women: all the lords of the Philistines were there, and from the roof about three thousand men and women looked on as Samson provided amusement. ²⁸ Samson cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord God, remember me! Strengthen me only this once that I may avenge myself on the Philistines at one blow for my two eyes.” ²⁹ Samson grasped the two middle columns on which the temple rested and braced himself against them, one at his right, the other at his left. ³⁰ Then saying, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Samson pushed hard, and the temple fell upon the lords and all the people who were in it. Those he killed by his dying were more than those he had killed during his lifetime.

³¹ His kinsmen and all his father’s house went down and bore him up for burial in the grave of Manoah his father between Zorah and Eshtaol. He had judged Israel for twenty years.^(G)

III. Further Stories of the Tribes of Dan and Benjamin

Chapter 17

Micah and the Levite. ¹ There was a man from the mountain region of Ephraim whose name was Micah. ^2 [c]He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you pronounced a curse and even said it in my hearing—I have that silver. I took it. So now I will restore it to you.” Then his mother said, “May my son be blessed by the Lord!” ³ When he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, she said, “I consecrate the silver to the Lord from my own hand on behalf of my son to make an idol overlaid with silver.”^{[d](H) 4} So when he restored the silver to his mother, she took two hundred pieces and gave them to the silversmith, who made of them an idol overlaid with silver. So it remained in the house of Micah. ⁵ The man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim,^[e](I) and installed one of his sons, who became his priest.^{(J) 6 [f]}In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.^(K)

⁷ There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the clan of Judah; he was a Levite residing there.^{(L) 8} The man set out from the city, Bethlehem of Judah, to take up residence wherever he could find a place. On his journey he came into the mountain region of Ephraim as far as the house of Micah. ⁹ “Where do you come from?” Micah asked him. He answered him, “I am a Levite, from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to take up residence wherever I can find a place.” ¹⁰ “Stay with me,” Micah said to him. “Be father and priest to me,^(M) and I will give you ten silver pieces a year, a set of garments, and your living.” He pressed the Levite, ¹¹ and he agreed to stay with the man. The young man became like one of his own sons. ^12 [g]Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, remaining in the house of Micah. ¹³ Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, since I have the Levite as my priest.”

Chapter 18

Migration of the Danites. ¹ In those days there was no king in Israel.^(N) In those days the tribe of the Danites were in search of a heritage to dwell in, for up to that time no heritage had been allotted^[h] to them among the tribes of Israel.^(O)

² So the Danites sent from their clans five powerful men of Zorah and Eshtaol, to reconnoiter the land and scout it. “Go, scout the land,” they were told. They went into the mountain region of Ephraim, and they spent the night there. ³ While they were near the house of Micah,^(P) they recognized the voice^[i] of the young Levite,^(Q) so they turned aside. They asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What is your interest here?” ⁴ “This is what Micah has done for me,” he replied to them. “He has hired me and I have become his priest.”^{(R) 5} They said to him, “Consult God, that we may know whether the journey we are making will lead to success.”^{(S) 6} The priest said to them, “Go in peace! The journey you are making is under the eye of the Lord.”

⁷ So the five men went on and came to Laish. They saw the people there living securely after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and trusting, with no lack of any natural resource. They were distant from the Sidonians and had no dealings with the Arameans.^{[j] 8} When the five returned to their kin in Zorah and Eshtaol, they were asked, “What do you have to report?” ⁹ They replied, “Come, let us attack them, for we have seen the land and it is very good. Are you going to hesitate? Do not be slow to go in and take possession of the land! ¹⁰ When you go you will come to a trusting people. The land stretches out in both directions, and God has indeed given it into your power—a place where no natural resource is lacking.”^(T)

¹¹ So six hundred of the clan of the Danites, men armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. ¹² They marched up into Judah and encamped near Kiriath-jearim; for this reason the place is called Mahaneh-dan^[k] to this day (it lies west of Kiriath-jearim).^(U)

¹³ From there they passed on into the mountain region of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah. ¹⁴ Then the five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land spoke up and said to their kindred, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, and an idol overlaid with silver?^(V) Now decide what you must do!” ¹⁵ So turning in that direction, they went to the house of the young Levite at the home of Micah and greeted him. ¹⁶ The six hundred Danites stationed themselves at the entrance of the gate armed with weapons of war. ¹⁷ The five men who had gone to reconnoiter the land went up ¹⁸ and entered the house of Micah with the priest standing there. They took the idol, the ephod, the teraphim and the metal image. When the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” ¹⁹ they said to him, “Be still! Put your hand over your mouth! Come with us and be our father and priest.^(W) Is it better for you to be priest for the family of one man or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?” ²⁰ The priest, agreeing, took the ephod, the teraphim, and the idol, and went along with the troops. ²¹ As they turned to depart, they placed their little ones, their livestock, and their goods at the head of the column.

^22 (X)When the Danites had gone some distance from the house of Micah, Micah and the men in the houses nearby mustered and overtook them. ²³ They called to the Danites, who turned and said to Micah, “What do you want that you have called this muster?” ²⁴ “You have taken my god, which I made for myself, and you have gone off with my priest as well,” he answered. “What is left for me? How, then, can you ask me, ‘What do you want?’” ²⁵ The Danites said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard near us, or aggravated men will attack you, and you will have forfeited your life and the lives of your family!” ²⁶ Then the Danites went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned back and went home.

^27 (Y)Having taken what Micah had made and his priest, they marched against Laish, a quiet and trusting people; they put them to the sword and destroyed the city by fire. ²⁸ No one came to their aid, since the city was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with the Arameans; the city was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. The Danites then rebuilt the city and occupied it. ²⁹ They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel.^(Z) But Laish was the name of the city formerly. ^30 [l]The Danites set up the idol for themselves, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses,^(AA) and his descendants were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time the land went into captivity. ³¹ They maintained the idol Micah had made as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.^[m]

Chapter 7

The Healing of a Centurion’s Slave.^{(A) 1 [a]}When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum.^{[b] 2} A centurion^[c] there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. ³ When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. ⁴ They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, ⁵ for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” ⁶ And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.^{[d] 7} Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. ⁸ For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ⁹ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” ¹⁰ When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Raising of the Widow’s Son.^{[e] 11 (B)}Soon afterward he journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. ¹² As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her.^{(C) 13} When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” ¹⁴ He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” ¹⁵ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.^{(D) 16} Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.”^{(E) 17} This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

The Messengers from John the Baptist.^{[f] 18 (F)}The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”^{(G) 20} When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” ²¹ At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. ²² And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.^{(H) 23} And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”^[g]

Jesus’ Testimony to John. ^24 [h]When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.^(I) “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵ Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. ²⁶ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.^{(J) 27} This is the one about whom scripture says:

²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ^29 (L)(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; ³⁰ but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)