1 ¶ Then Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there and went in unto her.

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

2 A nd it was told unto those of Gaza, Samson is come here. And they compassed him in and laid in wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were quiet all that night, saying, In the morning when it is light, we shall kill him.

The Gazites were told, Samson has come here. So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, In the morning, when it is light, we will kill him.

3 A nd Samson slept until 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 the mountain that is before Hebron.

But Samson lay until midnight, and he arose and took hold of the doors of the city’s gate and the two posts, and pulling them up, bar and all, he put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is before Hebron.

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

After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.

5 A nd the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, Entice him and see what gives him his great strength and by what means we may overcome him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and each one of us will give thee eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said to her, Entice him and see in what his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him that we may bind him to subdue him. And we will each give you 1, 100 pieces of silver.

6 A nd Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, what gives thee thy great strength and how might thou be bound to afflict thee.

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound to subdue you.

7 A nd Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green wicker strands that were never dried, then I shall become weak and be as any other man.

And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven fresh, strong gutstrings, still moist, then shall I be weak and be like any other man.

8 T hen the cardinals of the Philistines brought up to her seven green wicker strands which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

Then the Philistine lords brought to her seven fresh, strong bowstrings, still moist, and she bound him with them.

9 N ow there were men lying in wait in a chamber of her house. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the wicker strands as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the bowstrings as a string of tow breaks when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

10 T hen Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, how thou might be bound.

And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies; now tell me, I pray you, how you might be bound.

11 A nd he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then I shall become weak and be as any other man.

And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.

12 D elilah therefore took new ropes and bound him with them and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And there were men lying in wait abiding in a chamber. But he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And the men lying in wait were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.

13 A nd Delilah said unto Samson, Until now thou hast mocked me, and told me lies. Tell me, therefore, now, how thou might be bound. Then he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the cloth.

And Delilah said to Samson, Until now you have mocked me and told me lies; tell me with what you might be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.

14 A nd she fastened it with the stake and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the stake of the loom and with the cloth.

And she did so and fastened it with the pin and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web.

15 A nd she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not yet told me what gives thee thy great strength.

And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me in what your great strength lies.

16 A nd it came to pass that, pressing and grinding him daily with her words, his soul was reduced unto mortal anguish.

And when she pressed him day after day with her words and urged him, he was vexed to death.

17 T herefore, he told her all his heart and said unto her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

Then he told her all his mind and said to her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my birth. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.

18 ¶ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the cardinals of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the cardinals of the Philistines came up unto her and brought the money in their hand.

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his mind, she went and called for the Philistine lords, saying, Come up this once, for he has told me all he knows. Then the Philistine lords came up to her and brought the money in their hands.

19 A nd she caused him to 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.

And she made Samson sleep upon her knees, and she called a man and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to torment, and his strength went from him.

20 A nd she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, This time I will go out like before and escape; not knowing that the LORD had departed from him.

She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

21 B ut the Philistines took hold of him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of iron that he should grind in the prison house.

But the Philistines laid hold of him, bored out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze fetters; and he ground at the mill in the prison.

22 ¶ And the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

23 T hen the cardinals of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.

Then the Philistine lords gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.

24 A nd when the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the destroyer of our country, who slew many of us.

And when the people saw Samson, they praised their god, for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the ravager of our country, who has slain many of us.

25 A nd it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson that he may make us laugh. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport, and they set him between the pillars.

And when their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. So they called Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. They made him stand between the pillars.

26 A nd Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Bring me near and let me feel the pillars upon which the house stands that I may lean upon them.

And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house rests, that I may lean against them.

27 N ow the house was full of men and women; and all the cardinals of the Philistines were there, and upon the roof there were about three thousand men and women that beheld while Samson was mocked.

Now the house was full of men and women; all the Philistine princes were there, and on the roof were about 3, 000 men and women who looked on while Samson made sport.

28 T hen Samson called unto the LORD and said, O Lord GOD, remember me now and strengthen me now only this once, O God, that I may take vengeance at once of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.

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

And Samson laid hold of the two middle pillars by which the house was borne up, one with his right hand and the other with his left.

30 A nd Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he pushed with all his might, and the house fell upon the cardinals and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than those which he slew in his life.

And Samson cried, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself mightily, and the house fell upon the princes and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life.

31 T hen 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 sepulchre of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Then his kinsmen and all the tribal family of his father came down, took his body, and brought it up; and they buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.