The Book of Judges

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 16 -

Then went Samson to Azzah, and sawe there an harlot, and went in vnto her.

And it was tolde to the Azzahites, Samson is come hither. And they went about, and laied wayte for him all night in the gate of the citie, and were quiet all the nyght, saying, Abide till the morning earely, and we shall kill him.

And Samson slept till midnight, and arose at midnight, and tooke the doores of the gates of the citie, and the two postes and lift them away with the barres, and put them vpon his shoulders, and caried them vp to the top of the mountaine that is before Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

And after this hee loued a woman by the riuer of Sorek, whose name was Delilah:

Vnto whome came the princes of the Philistims, and said vnto her, Entise him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what meane we may ouercome him, that we may binde him, and punish him, and euery one of vs shall giue thee eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer.

And Delilah saide to Samson, Tell mee, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest bee bound, to doe thee hurt.

Samson then answered vnto her, If they binde mee with seuen greene cordes, that were neuer dryed, then shall I bee weake, and be as an other man.

And the princes of the Philistims brought her seuen greene cordes that were not dry, and she bound him therewith.

(And she had men lying in wayte with her in the chamber) Then she said vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And hee brake the cordes, as a threede of towe is broken, when it feeleth fire: so his strength was not knowen.

After Delilah saide vnto Samson, See, thou hast mocked mee and tolde mee lies. I pray thee nowe, tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.

Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shall I be weake, and be as an other man.

Delilah therefore tooke newe ropes, and bounde him therewith, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson: (and men lay in wayte in the chamber) and hee brake them from his armes, as a threede.

Afterward Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast beguiled mee, and tolde me lies: tell me how thou mightest be bounde. And he sayde vnto her, If thou plattedst seuen lockes of mine head with the threedes of the woufe.

And she fastened it with a pinne, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleepe, and went away with the pinne of the webbe and the woufe.

Delilah Learns the Secret

Againe shee sayde vnto him, Howe canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not tolde me wherein thy great strength lieth.

And because shee was importunate vpon him with her wordes continually, and vexed him, his soule was pained vnto the death.

Therefore he tolde her all his heart, and said vnto her, There neuer came rasor vpon mine head: for I am a Nazarite vnto God from my mothers wombe: therefore if I bee shauen, my strength will goe from me, and I shalbe weake, and be like all other men.

And when Delilah sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent, and called for the Princes of ye Philistims, saying, Come vp once againe: for he hath shewed mee all his heart. Then the Princes of the Philistims came vp vnto her, and brought the money in their handes.

And she made him sleepe vpon her knees, and she called a man, and made him to shaue off the seuen lockes of his head, and shee began to vexe him, and his strength was gone from him.

Then she said, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And hee awoke out of his sleepe, and thought, I will go out now as at other times, and shake my selfe, but he knewe not that the Lord was departed from him.

Therefore the Philistims tooke him, and put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Azzah, and bounde him with fetters: and hee did grinde in the prison house.

And the heare of his head began to growe againe after that it was shauen.

Samson’s Vengeance and Death

Then the Princes of the Philistims gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice vnto Dagon their god, and to reioyce: for they said, Our god hath deliuered Samson our enemie into our handes.

Also when the people saw him, they praysed their god: for they sayde, Our god hath deliuered into our hands our enemie and destroyer of our countrey, which hath slayne many of vs.

And when their heartes were merie, they said, Call Samson, that he may make vs pastime. So they called Samson out of the prison house, and he was a laughing stocke vnto them, and they set him betweene the pillars.

Then Samson saide vnto the seruant that led him by the hande, Lead me, that I may touch the pillars that the house standeth vpon, and that I may leane to them.

(Nowe the house was full of men and women, and there were all the princes of the Philistims: also vpon the roofe were about three thousande men and women that behelde while Samson played)

Then Samson called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lord God, I pray thee, thinke vpon me: O God, I beseech thee, strengthen me at this time onely, that I may be at once auenged of the Philistims for my two eyes.

And Samson layd hold on the two middle pillars whereupon the house stood, and on which it was borne vp: on the one with his right hand, and on the other with his left.

Then Samson saide, Let me lose my life with the Philistims: and he bowed him with all his might, and the house fell vpon the princes, and vpon all the people that were therein. so the dead which he slewe at his death were more then they which he had slaine in his life.

Then his brethren, and all the house of his father came downe and tooke him, and brought him vp and buryed him betweene Zorah and Eshtaol, in the sepulchre of Manoah his father: nowe he had iudged Israel twenty yeeres.

Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.

The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light; then we will kill him.”

Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

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

The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

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

Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”

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

Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the cords as a flax thread is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies. Now please tell me how you might be bound.”

He said to her, “If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”

So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.

Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the fabric on the loom.”

She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam and the fabric.

Delilah Learns the Secret

She said to him, “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.”

When she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, his soul was troubled to death.

He told her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me and I will become weak, and be like any other man.”

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 has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand.

She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the LORD had departed from him.

The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.

However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.

Samson’s Vengeance and Death

The lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”

When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us, into our hand.”

When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;

and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean on them.”

Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Samson performed.

Samson called to the LORD, and said, “Lord GOD, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested and leaned on them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.

Then his brothers 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 burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years.