Judges 16 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Samson and Delilah

1 Then Samson ^H8123 went ^H1980 to Gaza ^H5804 and saw ^H7200 a harlot ^H802 H2181 there ^H8033 and went ^H935 in ^H935 to her.

2 And it was told to the Gazites ^H5841, saying ^H559, “Samson ^H8123 has come ^H935 here ^H2008,” so they surrounded ^H5437 the place and lay ^H693 in ^H693 wait ^H693 for him all ^H3605 night ^H3915 at the gate ^H8179 of the city ^H5892. And they kept ^H2790 silent ^H2790 all ^H3605 night ^H3915, saying ^H559, “Let us wait until ^H5704 the morning ^H1242 light ^H216; then we will kill ^H2026 him.” 3 But Samson ^H8123 lay ^H7901 until ^H5704 midnight ^H2677 H3915, and at midnight ^H2677 H3915 he arose ^H6965 and seized ^H270 the doors ^H1817 of the city ^H5892 gate ^H8179 and the two ^H8147 posts ^H4201 and pulled ^H5265 them up ^H5265 along ^H5973 with ^H5973 the bars ^H1280; then he put ^H7760 them on his shoulders ^H3802 and brought ^H5927 them up to the top ^H7218 of the mountain ^H2022 which ^H834 is opposite ^H5921 H6440 Hebron ^H2275.

4 Now it happened afterwards ^H310 H3651 that he loved ^H157 a woman ^H802 in the valley ^H5158 of Sorek ^H7796, and her name ^H8034 was Delilah ^H1807. 5 And the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to her and said ^H559 to her, “Entice ^H6601 him, and see ^H7200 where ^H4100 his great ^H1419 strength ^H3581 lies and [fn]how ^H4100 we may overpower ^H3201 him that we may bind ^H631 him to afflict ^H6031 him. Then we will each ^H376 give ^H5414 you 1,100 ^{H505 H3967 H3967} pieces of silver ^H3701.” 6 So Delilah ^H1807 said ^H559 to Samson ^H8123, “Please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me where ^H4100 your great ^H1419 strength ^H3581 is and [fn]how ^H4100 you may be bound ^H631 to afflict ^H6031 you.” 7 Samson ^H8123 said ^H559 to her, “If ^H518 they bind ^H631 me with seven ^H7651 fresh ^H3892 cords ^H3499 that have not been dried ^H2717, then I will become ^H2470 weak ^H2470 and be like any ^H259 other man ^H120.” 8 Then the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 to her seven ^H7651 fresh ^H3892 cords ^H3499 that had not been dried ^H2717, and she bound ^H631 him with them. 9 Now she had ^H3427 men lying ^H693 in ^H693 wait ^H693, sitting ^H3427 in an inner ^H2315 room ^H2315. And she said ^H559 to him, “The Philistines ^H6430 are upon you, Samson ^H8123!” But he snapped ^H5423 the cords ^H3499 as a string ^H6616 of tinder ^H5296 snaps ^H5423 when it [fn]touches ^H7306 fire ^H784. So his strength ^H3581 was still not known ^H3045.

10 Then Delilah ^H1807 said ^H559 to Samson ^H8123, “Behold ^H2009, you have deceived ^H8524 me and told ^H1696 me lies ^H3577; now ^H6258 please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me [fn]how ^H4100 you may be bound ^H631.” 11 And he said ^H559 to her, “If ^H518 they bind ^H631 me tightly ^H631 with new ^H2319 ropes ^H5688 [fn]which ^H834 have not been used ^H6213 H4399 for work ^H4399, then I will become ^H2470 weak ^H2470 and be like any ^H259 other man ^H120.” 12 So Delilah ^H1807 took ^H3947 new ^H2319 ropes ^H5688 and bound ^H631 him with them and said ^H559 to him, “The Philistines ^H6430 are upon you, Samson ^H8123!” Now the men lying ^H693 in ^H693 wait ^H693 were sitting ^H3427 in the inner ^H2315 room ^H2315. But he snapped ^H5423 [fn]the ropes from his arms ^H2220 like a thread ^H2339.

13 Then Delilah ^H1807 said ^H559 to Samson ^H8123, “Up to now ^H2008 you have deceived ^H8524 me and told ^H1696 me lies ^H3577; tell ^H5046 me [fn]how ^H4100 you may be bound ^H631.” And he said ^H559 to her, “If ^H518 you weave ^H707 the seven ^H7651 locks ^H4253 of my head ^H7218 with the web ^H4545 [fn][and fasten ^H8628 it with a pin ^H3489, then I will become weak ^H2470 and be like any ^H259 other man ^H120.” 14 So while he slept ^H3462, Delilah took the seven ^H7651 locks ^H4253 of his [fn]hair ^H7218 and wove them into the web ^H4545]. And she fastened ^H8628 it with the pin ^H3489 and said ^H559 to him, “The Philistines ^H6430 are upon you, Samson ^H8123!” But he awoke ^H3364 from his sleep ^H8142 and pulled ^H5265 out ^H5265 the pin ^H3489 of the loom ^H708 and the web ^H4545.

15 Then she said ^H559 to him, “How ^H349 can you say ^H559, ‘I love ^H157 you,’ when your heart ^H3820 is not with me? You have deceived ^H8524 me these ^H2088 three ^H7969 times ^H6471 and have not told ^H5046 me where ^H4100 your great ^H1419 strength ^H3581 is.” 16 Now it happened ^H1961 when ^H3588 she pressed ^H6693 him daily ^H3117 with her words ^H1697 and urged ^H509 him, that his soul ^H5315 was [fn]annoyed ^H7114 to death ^H4191. 17 So he told ^H5046 her all ^H3605 that was in his heart ^H3820 and said ^H559 to her, “A razor ^H4177 has never ^H3808 come ^H5927 on my head ^H7218, for I have been a Nazirite ^H5139 to God ^H430 from my mother’s ^H517 womb ^H990. If ^H518 I am shaved ^H1548, then my strength ^H3581 will leave ^H5493 H4480 me and I will become ^H2470 weak ^H2470 and be like every ^H3605 other man ^H120.”

18 And Delilah ^H1807 saw ^H7200 that he had told ^H5046 her all ^H3605 that was in his heart ^H3820, so she sent ^H7971 and called ^H7121 the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430, saying ^H559, “Come ^H5927 up ^H5927 once ^H6471 more ^H6471, for he has told ^H5046 me all ^H3605 that is in his heart ^H3820.” Then the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to her and brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 the silver ^H3701 in their hands ^H3027. 19 Then she made him sleep ^H3462 on her knees ^H1290 and called ^H7121 for a man ^H376 and had him shave ^H1548 off ^H1548 the seven ^H7651 locks ^H4253 of his head ^H7218. Then she began ^H2490 to afflict ^H6031 him, and his strength ^H3581 left ^H5493 him. 20 And she said ^H559, “The Philistines ^H6430 are upon you, Samson ^H8123!” And he awoke ^H3364 from his sleep ^H8142 and said ^H559, “I will go ^H3318 out ^H3318 as at other ^H6471 times ^H6471 and shake ^H5287 myself free ^H5287.” But he did not know ^H3045 that Yahweh ^H3068 had left ^H5493 him. 21 Then the Philistines ^H6430 seized ^H270 him and gouged ^H5365 out ^H5365 his eyes ^H5869; and they brought ^H3381 him down ^H3381 to Gaza ^H5804 and bound ^H631 him with bronze ^H5178 chains ^H5178, and he was a grinder ^H2912 in the prison ^H1004 H631. 22 However, the hair ^H8181 of his head ^H7218 began ^H2490 to grow ^H6779 again after ^H834 it was shaved ^H1548 off ^H1548.

23 Now the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 assembled ^H622 to offer ^H2076 a great ^H1419 sacrifice ^H2077 to Dagon ^H1712 their god ^H430 and to be glad ^H8057; and they said ^H559,

“Our god ^H430 has given ^H5414 Samson ^H8123 our enemy ^H340 into our hands ^H3027.”

24 Then the people ^H5971 saw ^H7200 him and praised ^H1984 their god ^H430, for they said ^H559,

“Our god ^H430 has given ^H5414 our enemy ^H340 into our hands ^H3027,

Even the destroyer ^H2717 of our country ^H776,

Who ^H834 has slain ^H2491 many ^H7235 of us.”

25 So it happened ^H1961 when their hearts ^H3820 were merry ^H2895, that they said ^H559, “Call ^H7121 for Samson ^H8123, that he may amuse ^H7832 us.” So they called ^H7121 for Samson ^H8123 from the prison ^H1004 H631, and he [fn]entertained ^H6711 H6440 them. And they made him stand ^H5975 between ^H996 the pillars ^H5982. 26 Then Samson ^H8123 said ^H559 to the boy ^H5288 who was holding ^H2388 his hand ^H3027, “Let me feel ^H4184 the pillars ^H5982 on which ^H834 the house ^H1004 is established ^H3559, that I may lean ^H8172 against ^H5921 them.” 27 Now the house ^H1004 was full ^H4390 of men ^H376 and women ^H802, and all ^H3605 the lords ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 were there ^H8033. And about 3,000 ^H7969 H505 men ^H376 and women ^H802 were on the roof ^H1406 looking ^H7200 on while Samson ^H8123 was amusing ^H7832 them.

Samson’s Revenge

28 Then Samson ^H8123 called ^H7121 to Yahweh ^H3068 and said ^H559, “O Lord ^H136 Yahweh ^H3068, please ^H4994 remember ^H2142 me and please ^H4994 strengthen ^H2388 me just ^H389 this ^H2088 time ^H6471, O God ^H430, that I may at once ^H259 be avenged ^H5358 of the Philistines ^H6430 for my two ^H8147 eyes ^H5869.”

29 Samson ^H8123 grasped ^H3943 the two ^H8147 middle ^H8432 pillars ^H5982 on which ^H834 the house ^H1004 was established ^H3559 and supported ^H5564 himself against ^H5921 them, the one ^H259 with his right ^H3225 hand ^H3225 and the other ^H259 with his left ^H8040. 30 And Samson ^H8123 said ^H559, “Let me die ^H4191 with the Philistines ^H6430!” And he bent ^H5186 with his strength ^H3581 so that the house ^H1004 fell ^H5307 on the lords ^H5633 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in it. So the dead ^H4191 whom ^H834 he put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 by his death ^H4194 were more ^H7227 than ^H4480 those whom ^H834 he put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 in his life ^H2416. 31 Then his brothers ^H251 and all ^H3605 his father’s ^H1 household ^H1004 came ^H3381 down ^H3381, carried ^H5375 him, brought ^H5927 him up ^H5927, and buried ^H6912 him between ^H996 Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847, in the tomb ^H6913 of Manoah ^H4495 his father ^H1. Thus he had judged ^H8199 Israel ^H3478 twenty ^H6242 years ^H8141.