Judges 16

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

Samson journeyed to Gaza, where he encountered a woman of ill repute. Overcome by desire, he chose to spend time with her.

And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.

The people of Gaza were informed, "Samson is here." They quietly surrounded him, waiting in the city's gate all night. They whispered among themselves, "At dawn, we will end his life."

And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Samson rested until the stroke of midnight. Rising with determination, he seized the city gate doors and their posts, effortlessly lifting them. With the weight on his shoulders, he ascended a hill near Hebron, carrying the city's entrance as if it were nothing.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

Afterwards, he found himself deeply in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

The Philistine leaders approached her, pleading, "Seduce him. Discover the secret of his immense power and how we can overpower him. We want to bind him, to torment him. In return, each of us will reward you with eleven hundred silver pieces."

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

Delilah pleaded with Samson, "Please reveal the secret of your immense strength and how one could possibly tie you up and overpower you."

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

Samson confessed to her, "If they tie me up with seven fresh, undried ropes, I'll lose my strength and become just like any other man."

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

The Philistine leaders handed her seven fresh, undried ropes. With these, she tightly bound him.

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 toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Men were hiding in her room, waiting for the right moment. She warned Samson, "The Philistines are here!" He snapped his bonds as easily as a thread burns in fire, his true strength remaining a secret.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

With a hurt expression, Delilah pleaded to Samson, "You've made a fool of me with your lies. Please, tell me how you can be restrained."

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

He told her, "If they tie me up with unused ropes, then I'll lose my strength and become just like any other man."

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.

Delilah, with a sense of urgency, tied Samson up with fresh ropes. She warned him, "Samson, the Philistines are coming for you." Unknown to him, enemies were hiding in the room. Yet, Samson, with his immense strength, snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were mere threads.

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 web.

Delilah, feeling hurt, said to Samson, "You've been making fun of me, lying to me. Tell me, how can you be restrained?" Samson replied, "If you weave my seven braids into a loom."

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 away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

She secured it with a pin, warning him, "Samson, the Philistines are coming!" Startled from his sleep, he pulled free, taking with him the pin of the loom and the woven fabric.

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

She asked him, "How can you claim to love me when your heart isn't with me? You've fooled me three times, never revealing the source of your strength."

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

She constantly nagged him, pushing him to the edge of despair until he felt like he was dying inside.

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath 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.

He opened his heart to her, saying, "No razor has ever touched my hair. I've been dedicated to God since birth. If my hair is cut, I'll lose my strength and become as ordinary as any other man."

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 shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

When Delilah realized that he had bared his soul to her, she urgently summoned the Philistine lords. "He's opened his heart to me," she said. So, the lords came to her, their hands filled with money.

And she made 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.

She gently lulled him to sleep on her lap. Then, she summoned a man to cut off his seven braids. So she began to overpower him, and his strength faded away.

And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

She cried out in fear, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" Roused from his slumber, Samson confidently replied, "I'll handle them as I always have." Unbeknownst to him, God's presence had left him.

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

The Philistines captured him, cruelly blinded him, and dragged him to Gaza. They shackled him in cold, hard brass chains, forcing him to toil endlessly in the gloomy prison.

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Despite being shaven, his hair started to sprout anew, symbolizing hope and resilience.

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

The Philistine leaders united, ready to offer a grand tribute to their god, Dagon. They were filled with joy and relief, believing their god had handed over their foe, Samson, to them.

And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

When the people saw him, their hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude. They thanked their god Dagon, saying, "Our god has handed over our foe, the one who ravaged our land and took many of our lives."

And it came to pass, when their hearts 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 them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

As their hearts filled with joy, they called for Samson, seeking amusement. From his prison, Samson was brought forth. He entertained them, standing between the pillars.

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.

Samson pleaded with the boy guiding him, "Let me touch the pillars holding up the house, so I can lean on them."

Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

The place was teeming with people, both men and women. All the Philistine leaders were present. On the rooftop, around three thousand spectators watched as Samson was made to entertain.

And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

With a heavy heart, Samson cried out to God, "Please, remember me. Give me strength just this one last time, so I can avenge the loss of my sight against the Philistines."

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

With a surge of strength, Samson gripped the two central pillars that held up the house. His right hand on one, his left on the other, he became the sole support of the structure.

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

In a moment of despair, Samson cried out, "Let me perish with the Philistines!" Gathering his remaining strength, he pushed against the pillars. The building collapsed, killing the rulers and everyone inside. In his death, Samson claimed more lives than he ever did in his lifetime.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

His family, overwhelmed with grief, journeyed down to take him. They lovingly carried him up and laid him to rest between Zorah and Eshtaol, in his father Manoah's burial site. His legacy lived on, having served as a judge of Israel for two decades.