Judges:16:1-22

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* Then went Samson to Gazzah , and saw there a harlot , and went in unto her . * And it was told to the Gazzites , saying , Samson is come hither : and they compassed him in , and lay in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city , and held themselves quiet all the night , saying , By the time it is light in the morning will we kill him . * And Samson lay till midnight ; but he arose at midnight , and took hold of the doors of the city –gate , and the two door –posts , and tore them away with the bolt , and put them upon his shoulders , and carried them up to the top of the mount that is before Hebron . * And it came to pass after this , that he loved a woman in the valley of Shorek , whose name was Delilah . * And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her , and said unto her , Persuade him , and see wherein his great strength lieth , and by what means we may prevail over him , that we may bind him to subdue him : and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver . * And Delilah said to Samson , Tell me , I pray thee , wherein thy great strength lieth , and wherewith thou canst be bound to subdue thee . * And Samson said unto her , If they bind me with seven moist cords which have not yet been dried , then shall I become weak , and be like any other of mankind . * And the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven moist cords which had not yet been dried , and she bound him with them . * And she had men lying in wait , sitting near her in the chamber . And she said unto him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson . And he tore the cords , as a thread of tow is torn when it toucheth the fire ; and his strength was not perceived . * And Delilah said unto Samson , Behold , thou hast deceived me , and told me lies ; now do tell me , I pray thee , wherewith thou canst be bound . * And he said unto her , If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used in work , then shall I become weak , and be like any other of mankind . * And Delilah took new ropes , and bound him therewith , and said unto him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson . And the liers in wait were sitting in the chamber . But he tore them from off his arms like a thread . * And Delilah said unto Samson , Hitherto thou hast deceived me , and told me lies ; do tell me wherewith thou canst be bound . And he said unto her , If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web . * And she fastened it with the pin , and said unto him , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson . And he awakened out of his sleep , and tore away the pin of the loom , with the web . * And she said unto him , How canst thou say , I love thee , when thy heart is not with me ? these three times hast thou deceived me , and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth . * And it came to pass , when she worried him daily with her words , and urged him , that his soul became impatient to die ; * And he told her all his heart , and said unto her , A razor hath not passed over my head ; for a Nazarite of God have I been from my mother ’s womb ; if I were shaved , my strength would depart from me , and I should become weak , and be like all other men . * 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 told me all his heart . Then came the lords of the Philistines up unto her , and brought the money in their hand . * And she made him sleep upon her knees ; and she called a man , and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head ; and she began to subdue him , and his strength departed from him . * And she said , The Philistines are upon thee , Samson . And he awoke out of his sleep , and thought , I will go out as at other times before , and shake myself free . But he knew not that the Lord had departed from him . * And the Philistines seized him , and put out his eyes , and brought him down to Gazzah , and bound him with fetters of copper ; and he had to grind in the prison –house . * But the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off .

---