1 S ansão foi a Gaza, e viu ali uma prostituta, e entrou a ela.

Samson went to Gaza and saw a woman who sold the use of her body there. He went in to her.

2 E foi dito aos gazitas: Sansão entrou aqui. Cercaram-no, pois, e de emboscada ã porta da cidade o esperaram toda a noite; assim ficaram quietos a noite toda, dizendo: Quando raiar o dia, matá-lo-emos.

The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” So they gathered around the place and waited for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light. Then we will kill him.”

3 M as Sansão deitou-se até a meia-noite; então, levantando-se, pegou nas portas da entrada da cidade, com ambos os umbrais, arrancou-as juntamente com a tranca e, pondo-as sobre os ombros, levou-as até o cume do monte que está defronte de Hebrom.

But Samson lay until late at night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the pieces that held them. He pulled them up together with the locks and put them on his shoulders. And he carried them up to the top of the mountain beside Hebron.

4 D epois disto se afeiçoou a uma mulher do vale de Soreque, cujo nome era Dalila.

After this Samson loved a woman in the valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah.

5 E ntão os chefes dos filisteus subiram a ter com ela, e lhe disseram: Persuade-o, e vê em que consiste a sua grande força, e como poderemos prevalecer contra ele e amarrá-lo, para assim o afligirmos; e te daremos, cada um de nós, mil e cem moedas de prata.

The leaders of the Philistines came to her, saying, “Tempt Samson to tell you the secret of his powerful strength. Find out how we can get power over him so we can tie him and hold him. Then we will each give you 1, 100 pieces of silver.”

6 D isse, pois, Dalila a Sansão: Declara-me, peço-te, em que consiste a tua grande força, e com que poderias ser amarrado para te poderem afligir.

So Delilah said to Samson, “I beg you. Tell me the secret of your powerful strength. Tell me how one can get power over you and tie you up and hold you.”

7 R espondeu-lhe Sansão: Se me amarrassem com sete cordas de nervos, ainda não secados, então me tornaria fraco, e seria como qualquer outro homem.

Samson said to her, “They must tie me with seven new ropes that have not been dried. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.”

8 E ntão os chefes dos filisteus trouxeram a Dalila sete cordas de nervos, ainda não secados, com as quais ela o amarrou.

So the leaders of the Philistines brought her seven new ropes that had not been dried. And Delilah tied Samson with them.

9 O ra, tinha ela em casa uns espias sentados na câmara interior. Então ela disse: Os filisteus vêm sobre ti, Sansão! E ele quebrou as cordas de nervos, como se quebra o fio da estopa ao lhe chegar o fogo. Assim não se soube em que consistia a sua força.

She had men hiding and waiting in another room. She said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the ropes like a string breaks when it touches fire. So they did not find the secret of his strength.

10 D isse, pois, Dalila a Sansão: Eis que zombaste de mim, e me disseste mentiras; declara-me agora com que poderia ser a amarrado.

Delilah said to Samson, “See, you have fooled me and told me lies. Now tell me, I beg you, how can you be tied?”

11 R espondeu-lhe ele: Se me amarrassem fortemente com cordas novas, que nunca tivessem sido usadas, então me tornaria fraco, e seria como qualquer outro homem.

Samson said to her, “They must tie me with new ropes which have never been used. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.”

12 E ntão Dalila tomou cordas novas, e o amarrou com elas, e disse-lhe: Os filisteus vêm sobre ti, Sansão! E os espias estavam sentados na câmara interior. Porém ele as quebrou de seus braços como a um fio.

So Delilah took new ropes, tied Samson with them, and said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Men were hiding and waiting in another room. But Samson broke the ropes from his arms like a string.

13 D isse Dalila a Sansão: Até agora zombaste de mim, e me disseste mentiras; declara-me pois, agora, com que poderia ser amarrado. E ele lhe disse: Se teceres as sete tranças da minha cabeça com os liços da teia.

Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have fooled me and told me lies until now. Tell me how you can be tied.” Samson said to her, “You must work the seven strings of my hair into the cloth you are making and hold it there with a nail. Then I will become weak and be like any other man.”

14 A ssim ela as fixou com o torno de tear, e disse-lhe: Os filisteus vêm sobre ti, Sansão! Então ele despertou do seu sono, e arrancou o torno do tear, juntamente com os liços da teia.

So while Samson slept, Delilah took the seven strings of his hair and worked them into the cloth. She held it in place with the nail. Then she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the nail, the cloth maker and the cloth.

15 D isse-lhe ela: como podes dizer: Eu te amo! não estando comigo o teu coração? Já três vezes zombaste de mim, e ainda não me declaraste em que consiste a tua força.

Delilah said to Samson, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have lied to me these three times. You have not told me the secret of your powerful strength.”

16 E sucedeu que, importunando-o ela todos os dias com as suas palavras, e molestando-o, a alma dele se angustiou até a morte.

She asked him day after day until his soul was troubled to death.

17 E descobriu-lhe todo o seu coração, e disse-lhe: Nunca passou navalha pela ninha cabeça, porque sou nazireu de Deus desde o ventre de minha mãe; se viesse a ser rapado, ir-se-ia de mim a minha força, e me tornaria fraco, e seria como qualquer outro homem.

So he told her all that was in his mind. He said to her, “My hair has never been cut. For I have been a Nazirite to God from the time I was born. If my hair is cut, my strength will leave me. I will become weak and be like any other man.”

18 V endo Dalila que ele lhe descobrira todo o seu coração, mandou chamar os chefes dos filisteus, dizendo: Subi ainda esta vez, porque agora me descobriu ele todo o seu coração. E os chefes dos filisteus subiram a ter com ela, trazendo o dinheiro nas maos.

Delilah saw that Samson had told her the truth. She sent and called the leaders of the Philistines, saying, “Come once again. For he has told me all he knows.” So the leaders of the Philistines came to her. And they brought the money in their hands.

19 E ntão ela o fez dormir sobre os seus joelhos, e mandou chamar um homem para lhe rapar as sete tranças de sua cabeça. Depois começou a afligi-lo, e a sua força se lhe foi.

She made Samson sleep on her knees. Then she called for a man to cut off the seven parts of Samson’s hair. She began to hurt Samson, and his strength left him.

20 E disse ela: Os filisteus vêm sobre ti, Sansão! Despertando ele do seu sono, disse: Sairei, como das outras vezes, e me livrarei. Pois ele não sabia que o Senhor se tinha retirado dele.

She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as I have at other times. I will shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

21 E ntão os filisteus pegaram nele, arrancaram-lhe os olhos e, tendo-o levado a Gaza, amarraram-no com duas cadeias de bronze; e girava moinho no cárcere.

The Philistines took hold of him and cut out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and tied him with brass chains. Samson was made to grind grain in the prison.

22 T odavia o cabelo da sua cabeça, logo que foi rapado, começou a crescer de novo:

But the hair of his head started to grow again after it was cut off. The Death of Samson

23 E ntão os chefes dos filisteus se ajuntaram para oferecer um grande sacrifício ao seu deus Dagom, e para se regozijar; pois diziam: Nosso deus nos entregou nas mãos a Sansão, nosso inimigo.

Now the leaders of the Philistines gathered to give a large gift to their god Dagon. They were happy, for they said, “Our god has given us Samson, the man who has fought against us.”

24 s emelhantemente o povo, vendo-o, louvava ao seu deus, dizendo: Nosso Deus nos entregou nas mãos o nosso inimigo, aquele que destruía a nossa terra, e multiplicava os nossos mortos.

The people praised their god when they saw Samson. They said, “Our god has given us the one who fought against us, destroyed our country, and killed many of us.”

25 E sucedeu que, alegrando-se o seu coração, disseram: Mandai vir Sansão, para que brinque diante de nós. Mandaram, pois, vir do cárcere Sansão, que brincava diante deles; e fizeram-no estar em pé entre as colunas.

After the people had had much to drink, they said, “Bring Samson here so we can have some fun with him.” So they called Samson out of prison and made fun of him. They made him stand between the stone pillars that held up the building.

26 D isse Sansão ao moço que lhe segurava a mão: Deixa-me apalpar as colunas em que se sustém a casa, para que me encoste a elas.

Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the tall pillars that hold up the building. I want to rest against them.”

27 O ra, a casa estava cheia de homens e mulheres; e também ali estavam todos os chefes dos filisteus, e sobre o telhado havia cerca de três mil homens e mulheres, que estavam vendo Sansão brincar.

Now the building was full of men and women. All the leaders of the Philistines were there, and there were about 3, 000 men and women on the roof looking down and laughing at Samson.

28 E ntão Sansão clamou ao Senhor, e disse: Ó Senhor Deus! lembra-te de mim, e fortalece-me agora só esta vez, ó Deus, para que duma só vez me vingue dos filisteus pelos meus dois olhos.

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, I beg You. Remember me. Give me strength only this once, O God. So I may now punish the Philistines for my two eyes.”

29 A braçou-se, pois, Sansão com as duas colunas do meio, em que se sustinha a casa, arrimando-se numa com a mão direita, e na outra com a esquerda.

Samson took hold of the two center pillars that held up the building. He pushed against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.

30 E bradando: Morra eu com os filisteus! inclinou-se com toda a sua força, e a casa caiu sobre os chefes e sobre todo o povo que nela havia. Assim foram mais os que matou ao morrer, do que os que matara em vida.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his strength so that the building fell on the leaders and all the people in it. He killed more at his death than he killed in his life.

31 E ntão desceram os seus irmãos e toda a casa de seu pai e, tomando-o, o levaram e o sepultaram, entre Zorá e Estaol, no sepulcro de Manoá, seu pai. Ele havia julgado a Israel vinte anos.

Then his brothers and all those of his father’s house came and took him. They brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the grave of his father Manoah. Samson had ruled Israel for twenty years.