(KJV) Judges 16¹

<< Judges 15

Judges 17 >>

⥃Samson Escapes Gaza

[1] Then went Samson to Gaza², and saw there an harlot³, and went⁴ in unto her. [2] [And it was told] the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed⁵ [him] in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet⁶ all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him⁷. [3] And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took⁸ the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all⁹, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that [is] before Hebron.

⥃Samson and Delilah

[4] And it came to pass afterward, that he loved¹⁰ a woman in the valley¹¹ of Sorek, whose name [was] Delilah. [5] And the lords¹² of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice¹³ him, and see wherein his great strength [lieth], and by what [means] we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict¹⁴ him: and we will¹⁵ give thee every one of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.

[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.¹⁶ [7] And Samson said unto her, If they bind¹⁷ me with seven green withs¹⁸ that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another¹⁹ man. [8] Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him²⁰ with them. [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 toucheth²¹ the fire. So his strength was not known. [10] And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me²², I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. [11] And he said unto her, If they bind me²³ fast with new ropes that never²⁴ were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. [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. [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 web²⁵.²⁶²⁷ [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 away²⁸ with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

⥃Delilah Learns the Secret

[15] [¶]And she said unto him, How canst²⁹ thou say, I love thee, when thine³⁰ heart [is] not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength [lieth]. [16] And it came to pass, when she pressed³¹ him daily with her words, and urged him, [so] that his soul was vexed³² unto death; [17] That he told her all his heart³³, and said unto her, There hath³⁴ 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. [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 up³⁵ this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money³⁶ in their hand. [19] And she made³⁷ 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. [20] And she said, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go³⁸ out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord³⁹ was departed from him.

[21] [¶]But the Philistines took him, and put out⁴⁰ his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him⁴¹ with fetters of brass; and he did grind⁴² in the prison house. [22] Howbeit the hair⁴³ of his head began to grow again after he was shaven⁴⁴.

⥃Samson’s Vengeance and Death

[23] Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon⁴⁵ their god, and to rejoice⁴⁶: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. [24] And when the people saw him, they praised⁴⁷ their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us⁴⁸. [25] And it came to pass, when their hearts⁴⁹ 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 them⁵⁰ sport⁵¹: and they set him between the pillars. [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. [27] Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines [were] there; and [there⁵² were] upon the roof⁵³ about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. [28] And Samson called⁵⁴ unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me⁵⁵, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may⁵⁶ be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. [29] And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up⁵⁷, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. [30] And Samson said, Let me⁵⁸ die⁵⁹ with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house⁶⁰ fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein. So the dead⁶¹ which he slew at his death were more than [they] which he slew in his life. [31] Then his brethren⁶² and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought [him] up, and buried him between Zorah⁶³ and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged⁶⁴ Israel twenty years.

<< Judges 15

Judges 17 >>