Samson and Delilah - Judges 16

Judges 16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an  harlot, and went in unto her. 

Judges 16:2 And it was told the  Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they  compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the  gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the  morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 

Judges 16:3 And  Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took  the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went  away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his  shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is  before Hebron.  

Judges 16:4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a  woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  

Judges 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her,  and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great  strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail  against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we  will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of  silver.  

Judges 16:6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee,  wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou  mightest be bound to afflict thee. 

Judges 16:7 And Samson said  unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were  never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.  

Judges 16:8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her  seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound  him with them. 

Judges 16:9 Now there were men lying in wait,  abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him,  The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the  withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire.  So his strength was not known. 

Judges 16:10 And Delilah said  unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me  lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be  bound. 

Judges 16:11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast  with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be  weak, and be as another man. 

Judges 16:12 Delilah therefore  took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto  him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there  were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake  them from off his arms like a thread. 

Judges 16:13 And Delilah  said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told  me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he  said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head  with the web. 

Judges 16:14 And she fastened it with the pin,  and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.  And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin  of the beam, and with the web.  

Judges 16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I  love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast  mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein  thy great strength lieth. 

Judges 16:16 And it came to pass,  when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him,  so that his soul was vexed unto death; 

Judges 16:17 That he  told her all his heart, and said unto her. There hath not come  a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto  God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my  strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be  like any other man. 

Judges 16:18 And 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 hath  shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines  came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.  

Judges 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she  called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven  locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his  strength went from him. 

Judges 16:20 And she said, The  Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his  sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and  shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed  from him.  

Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes,  and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters  of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. 

Judges 16:22  Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he  was shaven. 

Judges 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines  gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto  Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath  delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 

Judges 16:24 And  when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they  said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and  the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.  

Judges 16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry,  that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.  And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he  made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.  

Judges 16:26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the  hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the  house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 

Judges 16:27 Now  the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of  the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof  about three thousand men and women, that beheld while  Samson made sport. 

Judges 16:28 And Samson called unto the  LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee,  and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I  may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.  

Judges 16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars  upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up,  of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.  

Judges 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines.  And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house  fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were  therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more  than they which he slew in his life. 

Judges 16:31 Then his  brethren 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 burying place of Manoah his father. And  he judged Israel twenty years.  
KJV

Comments