Judges:16

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* And Sampson went to Gaza , and saw there a harlot , and went in to her . * And it was reported to the Gazites , saying , Sampson is come hither : and they compassed him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city , and they were quiet all the night , saying , Let us wait till the dawn appear , and we will slay him . * And Sampson slept till midnight , and rose up at midnight , and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city with the two posts , and lifted them up with the bar , and laid them on his shoulders , and he went up to the top of the mountain that is before Chebron , and laid them there . * And it came to pass after this that he loved a woman in (note :)Alex . the brook of Sorech (:note ) Alsorech , and her name was Dalida . * And the princess of the Philistines came up to her , and said to her , Beguile him , and see wherein his great strength is , and wherewith we shall prevail against him , and bind him to humble him ; and we will give thee (note :)Gr . a man (:note ) each eleven hundred pieces of silver . * And Dalida said to Sampson , Tell me , I pray thee , wherein is thy great strength , and wherewith thou shalt be bound that thou mayest be humbled . * And Sampson said to her , If they bind me with seven moist cords that have not been spoiled , then shall I be weak and be as one of ordinary men . * And the princess of the Philistines brought to her seven moist cords that had not been spoiled , and she bound him with them . * And the (note :)Gr . ambush , singular (:note ) liers in wait remained with her in the chamber ; and she said to him , the Philistines are upon thee , Sampson : and he broke the cords as if any one should break a thread of tow when it has Gr . smelt touched the fire , and his strength was not known . * And Dalida said to Sampson , Behold , thou hast cheated me , and told me lies ; now then tell me wherewith thou shalt be bound . * And he said to her , If they should bind me fast with new ropes with which work has not been done , then shall I be weak , and shall be as another man . * And Dalida took new ropes , and bound him with them , and the liers in wait came out of the chamber , and she said , The Philistines are upon thee , Sampson : and he broke them off his arms like a thread . * And Dalida said to Sampson , Behold , thou hast deceived me , and told me lies ; tell me , I intreat thee , wherewith thou mayest be bound : and he said to her , If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web , and shouldest fasten them with the pin into the wall , then shall I be weak as another man . * And it came to pass when he was asleep , that Dalida took the seven locks of his head , and wove them with the web , and fastened them with the pin into the wall , and she said , The Philistines are upon thee , Sampson : and he awoke out of his sleep , and carried away the pin of the web out of the wall . * And Dalida said to Sampson , How sayest thou , I love thee , when thy heart is not with me ? this third time thou hast deceived me , and hast not told me wherein is thy great strength . * And it came to pass as she pressed him sore with her words continually , and straitened him , that his spirit failed almost to death . * Then he told her all his heart , and said to her , A razor has not come upon my head , because I have been a holy one of God from my mother ’s womb ; if then I should be shaven , my strength will depart from me , and I shall be weak , and I shall be as all other men . * And Dalida saw that he told her all his heart , and she sent and called the princess of the Philistines , saying , Come up yet this once ; for he has told me all his heart . And the chiefs of the Philistines went up to her , and brought the money in their hands . * And Dalida made Sampson sleep upon her knees ; and she called a man , and he shaved the seven locks of his head , and she began to (note :)This word in LXX seems generally to have the signification of "to afflict "(:note ) humble him , and his strength departed from him . * And Dalida said , The Philistines are upon thee , Sampson : and he awoke out of his sleep and said , I will go out as at former times , and shake myself ; and he knew not that the Lord was departed from him . * And the Philistines took him , and (note :)Gr . cut out (:note ) put out his eyes , and brought him down to Gaza , and bound him with fetters of brass ; and he ground in the prison-house . * And the hair of his head began to grow (note :)Gr . as he was shaven (:note ) as before it was shaven . * And the chiefs of the Philistines met to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon , and to make merry ; and they said , God has given into our hand our enemy Sampson . * And the people saw him , and sang praises to their god ; for our god , said they , has delivered into our hand our enemy , who wasted our land , and who multiplied our slain . * And when their heart was merry , then they said , Call Sampson out of the prison-house , and let him play before us : and they called Sampson out of the prison-house , and he played before them ; and they smote him with the palms of their hands , and set him between the pillars . * And Sampson said to the young man that held his hand , Suffer me to feel the pillars on which the house rests , and I will stay myself upon them . * And the house was full of men and woman , and there were all the chiefs of the Philistines , and on the roof were about three thousand men and woman looking at the sports of Sampson . * And Sampson wept before the Lord , and said , O Lord , my lord , remember me , I pray thee , and strengthen me , O God , yet this once , and I will requite one recompense to the Philistines for my two eyes . * And Sampson took hold of the two pillars of the house on which the house stood , and leaned on them , and laid hold of one with his right hand , and the other with his left . * And Sampson said , Let my life perish with the Philistines : and he (note :)Gr . bore ; some read eklinen (:note ) bowed himself mightily ; and the house fell upon the princes , and upon all the people that were in it : and the dead whom Sampson slew in his death were more than those whom he slew in his life . * And his brethren and his father ’s house went down , and they took him ; and they went up and buried him between Saraa and Esthaol in the sepulchre of his father Manoe ; and he judged Israel twenty years .

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