Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
YLT
Young's Literal Translation
One
day
Samson went
to Gaza, where
he
saw
a prostitute
and went
in to
spend
the
night
with
her .
And
Samson goeth
to Gaza, and
seeth
there
a woman,
a
harlot,
and goeth
in unto
her ;
When
the Gazites
heard
that
Samson
was
there
, they surrounded
that
place
and lay in
wait for him all night at the city
gate .
They
were
quiet
throughout
the night, saying, “Let
us
wait
until
dawn;
then we will
kill
him. ”
`it
is
told'
to
the Gazathites
, saying,
`Samson
hath
come
in
hither;'
and
they go
round
and lay wait for him all the
night at the gate of
the city,
and
keep
themselves
silent
all
the
night, saying, `Till
the
light
of
the
morning
--
then we have
slain
him. '
But
Samson lay
there
only
until
midnight
, when
he
got
up
, took
hold of
the doors of the city
gate and both
gateposts
, and pulled
them out,
bar and all.
Then
he
put
them
on his shoulders and took
them to
the top of the mountain
overlooking
Hebron.
And
Samson lieth
down
till
the
middle
of
the
night
, and
riseth
in
the
middle
of
the
night
, and
layeth
hold on
the doors of the gate of
the
city,
and on
the
two
side
posts
, and removeth
them with
the
bar ,
and putteth
on his shoulders ,
and taketh
them up
unto
the top of the hill,
which
`is'
on
the
front
of
Hebron.
Some
time
later,
Samson
fell
in
love
with
a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose
name was
Delilah .
And
it
cometh
to
pass
afterwards
that
he
loveth
a woman in the valley of Sorek, and
her
name `is'
Delilah ,
The lords
of the Philistines went
to
her and said
, “
Entice him and find
out
the
source
of
his great strength
and how
we can
overpower
him to tie
him up
and subdue
him.
Then
each one of
us
will
give
you
eleven hundred shekels
of
silver
. ”
and
the princes
of the Philistines come
up
unto
her ,
and say
to
her
, `
Entice him ,
and see
wherein
his great power
`is',
and wherein
we are
able
for
him --
and
we
have
bound
him
to afflict
him ,
and we
--
we
give
to
thee,
each one ,
eleven hundred silverlings
. '
So
Delilah said
to
Samson, “Please
tell
me the
source
of
your
great strength
and
how
you
can
be
tied
up
and subdued
. ”
And
Delilah saith
unto
Samson, `Declare,
I
pray
thee,
to
me ,
wherein
thy
great power
`is',
and wherewith
thou
art
bound,
to
afflict
thee
. '
Samson told
her, “
If they tie
me up
with seven fresh
bowstrings
that
have not been dried, I will
become
as
weak as any
other
man
. ”
And
Samson saith
unto
her, `
If they bind
me with seven green
withs
which
have not been dried, then
I have
been
weak ,
and
have
been
as one
of
the
human
race
. '
So
the lords
of the Philistines brought
her seven fresh
bowstrings
that
had
not been dried, and she tied
him up
with them.
And
the princes
of the Philistines bring
up
to
her seven green
withs
which
have
not been dried, and she bindeth
him with them.
While
the men
were
hidden
in
her room
, she called
out,
“Samson
, the
Philistines are here!”
But
he snapped
the bowstrings
like
a
strand
of
yarn
seared
by
a flame.
So
the
source
of his strength
remained
unknown
.
And
the ambush
is
abiding
with
her in
an
inner
chamber
, and
she saith
unto
him
, `
Philistines `
are '
upon
thee,
Samson;'
and
he breaketh
the withs
as
a thread
of tow
is
broken
in
its
smelling
fire,
and
his power
hath
not
been
known
.
Then
Delilah said
to
Samson, “You
have
mocked
me and lied
to
me !
Now please
tell
me how
you
can
be
tied
up
. ”
And
Delilah saith
unto
Samson, `Lo,
thou
hast
played
upon
me ,
and speakest
unto
me lies;
now ,
declare,
I
pray
thee,
to
me ,
wherewith
thou
art
bound
. '
He replied
, “
If they tie
me up
with new ropes
that
have
never
been used
, I will
become
as
weak as any
other
man
. ”
And
he saith
unto
her
, `
If they certainly
bind
me with thick
bands,
new ones,
by
which
work
hath
not
been done
, then
I have
been
weak ,
and
have
been
as one
of
the
human
race
. '
So
Delilah took
new ropes
, tied
him up
with them, and called
out,
“Samson
, the
Philistines are here!”
But
while
the men
were
hidden
in her
room
, he snapped
the
ropes
off his arms like
they
were
threads
.
And
Delilah taketh
thick
bands,
new ones
, and
bindeth
him with them, and saith
unto
him
, `
Philistines `
are '
upon
thee,
Samson;'
and
the ambush
is
abiding
in an
inner
chamber
, and
he breaketh
them
from
off his arms as
a
thread
.
Then
Delilah said
to
Samson, “You
have
mocked
me and lied
to
me all
along!
Tell
me how
you
can
be
tied
up
. ”
He told
her, “
If you
weave
the seven braids
of my head into
the web of
a
loom
and
tighten
it
with
a
pin,
I
will
become
as
weak
as
any
other
man
. ”
And
Delilah saith
unto
Samson, `Hitherto
thou
hast
played
upon
me ,
and dost
speak
unto
me lies;
declare
to
me wherewith
thou
art
bound
. '
And
he saith
unto
her, `
If thou
weavest
the seven locks
of my head with
the web. '
So
while
he
slept,
Delilah
took
the
seven
braids
of
his
hair
and wove
them
into
the
web.
Then
she tightened
it with a
pin and called
to
him, “Samson,
the
Philistines are here!”
But
he awoke
from
his sleep and pulled
out
the pin with
the loom
and the web.
And she fixeth
`
it '
with the
pin ,
and saith
unto
him, `
Philistines `
are '
upon
thee,
Samson;'
and
he awaketh
out
of
his sleep ,
and journeyeth
with
the pin of
the weaving
machine,
and with
the web.
“
How can
you
say, ‘
I love
you,’”
she
asked
, “when
your
heart is not with me? This
is
the
third
time
you
have
mocked
me and failed
to
reveal
to me the
source
of
your
great strength!”
And
she
saith
unto
him,
`
How dost
thou
say, I have
loved
thee
, and
thy
heart is not with me? these
three
times
thou
hast
played
upon
me ,
and hast
not
declared
to me wherein
thy
great power
`is'.'
Finally
, after
she had
pressed
him daily
with her words and pleaded
until
he
was
sick
to death,
And
it
cometh
to
pass
, because
she distressed
him with her words all
the
days,
and doth
urge
him,
and
his
soul
is
grieved
to death,
Samson
told
her all that
was
in
his heart :
“
My hair
has
never
been
cut
, because
I
have
been
a Nazirite
to God from my
mother’s
womb .
If I am
shaved
, my strength
will
leave
me, and I will
become
as
weak as any other
man
. ”
that
he
declareth
to
her all his heart ,
and
saith
to
her,
`A
razor
hath
not
gone
up
on
my head
, for
a Nazarite
to God I
`am'
from the
womb of
my
mother;
if I have
been
shaven
, then
hath
my power
turned
aside
from
me, and I have
been
weak ,
and
have
been
as any of
the
human
race
. '
When
Delilah realized
that he had
revealed
to her all that
was
in
his heart, she sent
this
message
to
the lords
of the Philistines :
“
Come up once
more
, for he has
revealed
to me all that
is
in
his heart .”
Then
the lords
of the Philistines came
to
her, bringing
the money in their hands
.
And
Delilah seeth
that he hath
declared
to her all his heart, and
she sendeth
and
calleth
for
the princes
of the Philistines ,
saying,
`
Come up this
time
, for he hath
declared
to me all his heart ;'
and
the princes
of the Philistines have
come
up
unto
her, and
bring
up
the money in their hand
.
And having
lulled
him to
sleep on her lap
, she
called
a man to
shave
off
the seven braids
of his head .
In
this
way
she
began
to subdue
him, and his strength
left
him .
and she
maketh
him sleep on her knees
, and
calleth
for
a man ,
and
shaveth
the seven locks
of his head ,
and
beginneth
to afflict
him, and his power
turneth
aside
from
off
him ;
Then
she called
out,
“Samson
, the
Philistines are here!”
When
Samson awoke
from
his sleep, he
thought
, “
I will
escape
as I
did
before
and shake myself free.”
But
he did
not know
that the
LORD
had
departed
from him.
and
she saith
, `
Philistines `
are '
upon
thee,
Samson ;'
and
he
awaketh
out
of
his sleep, and
saith
, `
I go
out
as time
by
time,
and shake myself ;'
and
he hath
not known
that Jehovah
hath
turned
aside
from off
him.
Then
the Philistines seized
him, gouged
out his eyes, and brought
him down to Gaza, where
he
was
bound
with bronze
shackles
and forced
to
grind
grain
in the prison.
And
the Philistines seize
him, and
pick
out his eyes, and bring
him down to Gaza, and
bind
him
with two
brazen
fetters;
and he
is
grinding
in the prison -house
.
However,
the hair of his head began
to grow
back
after
it
had
been shaved.
And
the hair of his head beginneth
to shoot
up,
when
he
hath
been shaven,
Now
the lords
of the Philistines gathered together to offer
a great sacrifice to their god Dagon.
They
rejoiced
and said
, “
Our god has
delivered
Samson our enemy into
our
hands
. ”
and
the princes
of the Philistines have
been
gathered together to sacrifice
a great sacrifice to Dagon
their god ,
and to
rejoice;
and
they
say
, `
Our god hath
given
into
our
hand
Samson our enemy. '
And when
the people saw
him, they
praised
their god, saying:
“
Our god has
delivered
into
our hands
our enemy who destroyed
our land and multiplied our dead
. ”
And the people see
him, and
praise
their god, for
they
said,
`
Our god hath
given
in
our hand
our enemy ,
and
he
who is
laying
waste
our land ,
and who
multiplied our wounded
. '
And while
their hearts
were
merry
, they said
, “
Call for Samson to
entertain
us .”
So
they called
Samson out of the prison to
entertain
them .
And they stationed
him between the pillars.
And it
cometh
to
pass,
when
their heart
`is'
glad
, that
they say
, `
Call for Samson ,
and
he
doth
play
before
us ;'
and
they call
for
Samson out of the prison -house,
and
he
playeth
before
them ,
and they cause
him to
stand
between the pillars.
Samson said
to
the servant
who held
his hand, “Lead
me where
I
can
feel the pillars supporting
the temple
, so
I can
lean against
them. ”
And
Samson saith
unto
the young
man
who is
keeping
hold
on
his hand, `Let
me alone,
and
let
me
feel the pillars on
which
the house
is
established
, and
I lean upon
them. '
Now
the temple
was
full of men and women ;
all the lords
of the Philistines were
there
, and about three thousand men and women were
on the roof
watching
Samson entertain
them
.
And
the house
hath
been
full of men and of
women ,
and
thither
`are'
all the princes
of the Philistines, and on
the
roof
`are'
about three thousand men and women ,
who
are
looking
on the playing
of
Samson.
Then
Samson called
out
to
the
LORD:
“O
Lord GOD
, please
remember me .
Strengthen me, O
God
, just
once
more
, so
that
with
one
vengeful
blow
I may
pay
back
the
Philistines
for
my two eyes. ”
And
Samson calleth
unto
Jehovah,
and
saith,
`
Lord Jehovah
, remember me ,
I
pray
Thee,
and
strengthen me, I
pray
Thee
, only
this
time
, O
God;
and
I am
avenged
--
vengeance
at
once
--
because
of
my two eyes ,
on
the
Philistines
. '
And Samson reached
out
for
the two central
pillars supporting
the temple.
Bracing
himself
against
them
with his right hand on
one
pillar
and his left hand
on
the
other,
And Samson turneth
aside
`to'
the two middle
pillars ,
on
which
the house
is
established,
and
on
which
it
is
supported,
`to'
the
one
with his right hand ,
and one
with
his left ;
Samson said
, “
Let me die with the Philistines .”
Then
he pushed
with
all
his
might
, and the temple
fell
on the lords
and all the people in it .
So
in his death he
killed
more than he had
killed
in his life.
and
Samson saith
, `
Let me die with the Philistines ,'
and
he inclineth
himself
powerfully
, and the house
falleth
on the princes,
and on
all the people who
`are'
in it ,
and
the
dead
whom
he
hath
put
to
death
in his death are
more than those
whom
he put
to
death
in his life.
Then
Samson’s
brothers
and his father’s
family
came
down, carried
him back
, and buried
him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb
of his father Manoah.
And he had
judged Israel twenty years.
And his brethren
come
down, and
all
the
house
of
his
father,
and
lift
him up
, and bring
him up,
and
bury
him
between Zorah and Eshtaol ,
in the burying-place
of Manoah
his father ;
and he hath
judged Israel twenty years.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and Young's Literal Translation. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; Public domain..