Judges 16 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Samson’s Weakness

1 Now Samson ^H8123 went ^H1980 to Gaza ^H5804 and saw ^H7200 a prostitute ^H2181 there ^H8033, and had ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 her.

2 When it was reported to the Gazites ^H5841, saying ^H559, “Samson ^H8123 has come ^H935 here ^H2008,” 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’s wait until ^H5704 the morning ^H1242 light ^H216, then we will kill ^H2026 him.” 3 Now Samson ^H8123 lay ^H7901 asleep until ^H5704 midnight ^H2677 H3915, and at midnight ^H2677 H3915 he got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and took ^H270 hold ^H270 of the doors ^H1817 of the city ^H5892 gate ^H8179 and the two ^H8147 doorposts ^H4201, and pulled ^H5265 them up ^H5265 along ^H5973 with ^H5973 the bars ^H1280; then he put ^H7760 them on his shoulders ^H3802, and carried ^H5927 them up ^H5927 to the top ^H7218 of the mountain ^H2022 which ^H834 is opposite ^H5921 H6440 Hebron ^H2275.

4 After ^H310 this ^H3651 it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 that he was in love ^H157 with a woman ^H802 in the Valley ^H5158 of Sorek ^H7796, whose name ^H8034 was Delilah ^H1807. 5 So the governors ^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 can overpower ^H3201 him so that we may bind ^H631 him to humble ^H6031 him. Then we will each ^H376 give ^H5414 you 1,100 ^H505 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 lies, and [fn]how ^H4100 you can be bound ^H631 to humble ^H6031 you.” 7 And Samson ^H8123 said ^H559 to her, “If ^H518 they bind ^H631 me with seven ^H7651 fresh ^H3892 [fn]animal tendons ^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 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 to her seven ^H7651 fresh ^H3892 [fn]animal tendons ^H3499 that had not been dried ^H2717, and she bound ^H631 him with them. 9 Now she had ^H3427 men prepared ^H3427 H693 for ^H693 an ^H693 ambush ^H693 in an inner ^H2315 room ^H2315. And she said ^H559 to him, “The Philistines ^H6430 are upon you, Samson ^H8123!” But he tore ^H5423 the tendons ^H3499 to ^H5423 pieces ^H5423 just ^H834 like ^H834 a thread ^H6616 of flax ^H5296 is torn ^H5423 apart ^H5423 when it [fn]comes ^H7306 too ^H7306 close ^H7306 to ^H7306 fire ^H784. So his strength ^H3581 was not discovered ^H3045.

10 Then Delilah ^H1807 said ^H559 to Samson ^H8123, “Behold ^H2009, you have toyed ^H8524 with me and told ^H1696 me lies ^H3577; now ^H6258 please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me [fn]how ^H4100 you may be bound ^H631.” 11 Then 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, 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!” For the men in the ambush ^H693 were waiting ^H3427 in the inner ^H2315 room ^H2315. But he tore ^H5423 [fn]the ropes from his arms ^H2220 like thread ^H2339.

13 Then Delilah ^H1807 said ^H559 to Samson ^H8123, “Up to now ^H2008 you have toyed ^H8524 with 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 [fn]hair ^H7218 with the [fn]web ^H4545 [fn][and fasten it with the pin, then I will be weak like any other man.” 14 So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven locks of his [fn]hair with the web]. 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.

Delilah Extracts His Secret

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 toyed ^H8524 with me these ^H2088 three ^H7969 times ^H6471 and have not told ^H5046 me where ^H4100 your great ^H1419 strength ^H3581 is.”

16 And it came ^H1961 about ^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 any ^H3605 other man ^H120.”

18 When Delilah ^H1807 saw ^H7200 that he had told ^H5046 her all ^H3605 that was in his heart ^H3820, she sent ^H7971 word and called ^H7121 the governors ^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 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to her and brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 the money ^H3701 in their hands ^H3027. 19 And 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 humble ^H6031 him, and his strength ^H3581 left ^H5493 him. 20 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 the LORD ^H3068 had departed ^H5493 from 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 restrained ^H631 him with bronze ^H5178 chains ^H5178, and he became ^H1961 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 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 assembled ^H622 to offer ^H2076 a great ^H1419 sacrifice ^H2077 to Dagon ^H1712 their god ^H430, and to celebrate ^H8057, for they said ^H559,

“Our god ^H430 has handed ^H5414 H3027 Samson ^H8123 our enemy ^H340 over ^H5414 to us.”

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

“Our god ^H430 has handed ^H5414 H3027 our enemy ^H340 over ^H5414 to us,

Even the destroyer ^H2717 of our country ^H776,

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

25 It so happened ^H1961 when [fn]they were in high ^H2895 spirits ^H3820, 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, “[fn]Let ^H5117 me feel ^H4184 the pillars ^H5982 on which ^H834 the house ^H1004 rests ^H3559, so 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 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 were there ^H8033. And about three ^H7969 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 and women ^H802 were on the roof ^H1406 looking ^H7200 on while Samson ^H8123 was entertaining ^H7832 them.

Samson Is Avenged

28 Then Samson ^H8123 called ^H7121 to the LORD ^H3068 and said ^H559, “Lord ^H136 [fn]GOD ^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 take vengeance ^H5358 on the Philistines ^H6430 for my two ^H8147 eyes ^H5869.”

29 Then Samson ^H8123 grasped ^H3943 the two ^H8147 middle ^H8432 pillars ^H5982 on which ^H834 the house ^H1004 rested ^H3559, and braced ^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 [fn]me die ^H4191 with the Philistines ^H6430!” And he pushed ^H5186 outwards ^H5186 powerfully ^H3581, so that the house ^H1004 fell ^H5307 on the governors ^H5633 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in it. And the dead ^H4191 whom ^H834 he killed ^H4191 at his death ^H4194 were more ^H7227 than ^H4480 those whom ^H834 he killed ^H4191 during his lifetime ^H2416. 31 Then his brothers ^H251 and all ^H3605 his father’s ^H1 household ^H1004 came ^H3381 down ^H3381 and took ^H5375 him, and brought ^H5927 him up ^H5927 and buried ^H6912 him between ^H996 Zorah ^H6881 and Eshtaol ^H847 in the tomb ^H6913 of his father ^H1 Manoah ^H4495. So he had judged ^H8199 Israel ^H3478 for twenty ^H6242 years ^H8141.