¹ And Samson went to Gaza and saw there a woman that was a harlot, and came·​·in unto^▵ her.

² To the Gazathites it was said, Samson comes hither; and they surrounded him and set·​·an·​·ambush for him all night in the gate of the city. And they were·​·silent all the night, saying, At the light of the morning we shall kill him.

³ And Samson lay until midnight, and arose at midnight, and seized the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and journeyed away with them with the bar; and he set them on his shoulders^◦, and brought· them ·up to^▵ the head of the mountain that is before Hebron.

⁴ And it was, after this, that he loved a woman at the brook of Sorek, and her name was Delilah.

⁵ And the satraps^* of the Philistines went·​·up to her, and said to her, Entice him and see in what his great power is, and by what we may prevail^◦ over him, that we may bind him to afflict him, and we will give thee every man^◦ a thousand and a hundred of silver.

⁶ And Delilah said unto Samson, Tell unto me, I pray^◦ thee, wherein is thy great power, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

⁷ And Samson said unto her, If they would bind me with seven fresh bow·​·strings that have not been dried^◦, then I shall be·​·weak and be as one man.

⁸ And the satraps of the Philistines brought·​·up to her seven fresh bow·​·strings which had not been dried^◦, and she bound him with them.

⁹ And those ambushing sat with her in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he pulled·​·apart the bow·​·strings as a strand of tow^* is pulled·​·apart when it smells the fire, and his power was not known.

¹⁰ And Delilah said to^▵ Samson, Behold, thou hast deluded me, and spoken lies to^▵ me; now tell me, I pray^◦ thee, with what thou mayest be bound.

¹¹ And he said to^▵ her, If binding, they bind me with new ropes, with which no^◦ work^▵* has been done, then I shall be·​·weak and be as one man.

¹² And Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And those setting·​·the·​·ambush were situated in the chamber. And he tore them from on his arms as a thread.

¹³ And Delilah said to^▵ Samson, Until now^◦ thou hast deluded me, and spoken lies to^▵ me; tell me with what thou mayest be bound. And he said to^▵ her, If thou weavest the seven curls of my head with the weaving^◦.

¹⁴ And she fixed it with the peg, and said unto^▵ him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke from his sleep, and set·​·out with^◦ the peg of the weaver, and with^◦ the weaving^◦.

¹⁵ And she said to^▵ him, How^◦ sayest thou, I love thee, and thy heart is not^◦ with^◦ me? These three times^◦ hast thou deluded me, and hast not told me wherein is thy great power.

¹⁶ And it was, that she caused· him ·anguish with her words all the days, and scorned him, and his soul was shortened^◦ to make· him ·die;

¹⁷ and he told her all his heart, and said to her, A razor has not come·​·up on my head, for I^◦ have been a Nazarite of God from the belly of my mother. If I^◦ be shaven, then my power will be removed from me, and I shall be·​·weak, and be as any man.

¹⁸ And Delilah saw that he had·​·told her all his heart, and she sent and called all the satraps of the Philistines, saying, Come·​·up this time^◦, for he has·​·told me all his heart. And the satraps of the Philistines came·​·up unto her, and brought·​·up the silver in their hand.

¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called the man^◦, and she had him shave·​·off the seven curls of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his power was removed from upon him.

²⁰ And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke from his sleep, and said, I will go·​·out as a time^◦ in the time^◦, and shake· them ·off. And he knew not that Jehovah had turned·​·aside from him.

²¹ And the Philistines seized him, and took·​·out^◦ his eyes, and brought· him ·down to Gaza, and bound him with brazen fetters; and he did grind in the house of the bound.

²² And the hair of his head began to grow where it had been shaven.

²³ And the satraps of the Philistines were gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to be glad; and they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.

²⁴ And the people saw him and praised their god; for they said: Our god has given into our hand our enemy, and him that wasted our land and multiplied our slain.

²⁵ And it was when^◦ it seemed good to their heart, that they said, Call for Samson that he may sport for us. And they called for Samson out of the house of the bound, and he sported before them, and they stood him between the pillars.

²⁶ And Samson said unto^▵ the lad holding· him ·firmly by his hand, Place me that I may feel the pillars, on which the house was established, and I may lean on them.

²⁷ And the house was·​·full of the men^◦ and the women; and all the satraps of the Philistines were there; and on the roof were about^◦ three thousand men^◦ and women, who saw Samson sporting.

²⁸ And Samson called to^▵ Jehovah and said, O Lord Jehovih^*, remember me, I pray^◦ Thee, and strengthen me, I pray^◦ Thee, surely this time^◦, O God, and I will be avenged of the Philistines with one vengeance for my two eyes.

²⁹ And Samson seized·​·hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house was established and upon which it was supported, one in his right·​·hand and one in his left.

³⁰ And Samson said, Let my soul die with the Philistines; and he stretched· himself ·out with power; and the house fell upon the satraps, and upon all the people that were therein. And the dead whom he put·​·to·​·death in his death were many more than they whom he put·​·to·​·death in his life.

³¹ And his brothers and all the house of his father came·​·down, and lifted and brought· him ·up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the grave of Manoah his father. And he^◦ judged Israel twenty years.