Reformation Directory

3 Samsón carieth away the gates of Azzáh. 18 He was deceived by Deliláh. 30 He pulleth downe the house upon the Philistíms, and dyeth with them.

1.^aThen went Samsón to Azzáh, and sawe there ^an harlot, and ^bwent in unto her.

2.And it was tolde to the Azzathites, Samsón is come hether. And they went about, and layed wait for him all night in the gate of the citie, and were quiet all the night, saying, Abide ^til the morning earely, and we shal kil him.

3.And Samsón slept til midnight, and arose at midnight, and toke the dores of the gates of the citie, and the two postes and lift them away with the barres, and put them upon his shulders, and caried them up to the top of the mountaine that is before Hebrón.

4.¶ And after this he loved a woman by the ^river of Sorék, whose name was Deliláh:

5.Unto whome came the princes of the Philistíms, and said unto her, Entise him, and se wherein his great strength lieth, and by what meane we may overcome him, that we may binde him, and punish him, and everie one of us shal give thee eleven hundreth ^cshekels of silver.

6.¶ And Deliláh said to Samsón, Tel me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightiest be bounde, to do thee hurt.

7.Samsón then answered unto her, If they binde me with seven ^greene cordes that were never dryed, then shal I be weake, and Judges 16 be as an other man.

8.And the princes of the Philistíms broght her seven greene cordes that were not drye, and she bounde him therewith.

9.(And she had ^dmen lying in wayte with her in the chamber) Then she said unto him, The Philistíms be upon thee, Samsón. And he brake the cordes, as a thread of towe is broken, when ^eit feleth fire: so his strength was not knowen.

10.¶ After Deliláh said unto Samsón, Se, thou hast mocked me & tolde me lies. I pray thee now, ^ftel me wherewith thou mightiest be bound.

11.Then he answered her, If they binde me with newe ropes that never were occupied, then shal I be weake, and be as another man.

12.Deliláh therefore toke newe ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistíms be upon thee, Samsón: (and men lay in wait in the chamber) and he brake them from his armes, as a threade.

13.¶ Afterward Deliláh said to Samsón, Hetherto thou hast beguiled me, and tolde me lies: tel me how thou mightiest be bound. ^gAnd he said unto her, If thou plattedst seven lockes of mine head with the threades of the woufe.

14.And she fastened it with a pinne, and said unto him, The Philistíms be upon thee, Samsón. And he awoke out of his slepe, and went away with the ^pinne of the webbe and the woufe.

15.Againe she said unto him, How canst thou say, ^hI love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these thre times, and hast not tolde me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16.And because she was importunate upon him with her wordes continually, and vexed him, his soule was peined unto the death.

17.Therefore he tolde her all his ⁱheart, and said unto her, There never came a rasor upon mine head: for I am a Nazarite unto God from my mothers wombe: therefore if I be shaven, my strength wil go from me, & I shal be weake, & be like all other men.

18.And when Deliláh sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent, and called for the Princes of the Philistíms, saying, Come up once again: for he hathe shewed me all his heart. Then the princes of the Philistíms came up unto her, and broght the money in their hands.

19.And she made him slepe upon her knees, and she called a man, and made him to shave of the seven lockes of his head, and she began to vexe him, & his strength was ^kgone from him.

20.Then she said, The Philistíms be upon thee, Samsón. And he awoke out of his slepe, and thoght, I wil go out now as at other times, and shake my selfe, but he knewe not that the Lord was departed from him.

21.Therefore the Philistíms toke him, and put out his eies, and broght him downe to Azzáh, and bound him with fetters: and he did grinde in the prison house.

22.And the heere of his head began to ^lgrowe againe after that it was shaven.

23.Then the princes of the Philistíms gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagón their god, and to rejoyce: for they said, Our god hathe delivered Samsón our enemie into our hands.

24.Also when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemie and destroier of our countrey, which hathe slaine manie of us.

25.And when their heartes were mery, they said, Call Samsón, that he may make us pastime. So they called Samsón out of the prison house, and he ^mwas a laughing stocke unto them, and they set him betwene the pillers.

26.Then Samsón said unto the servant that led him by the hand, Lead me, that I may touche the pillers that the house standeth upon, and that I may leane to them.

27.(Now the house was ful of men & woman, and there were all the princes of the Philistíms: also upon the roofe were about thre thousand men and woman that behelde while Samsón ^played)

28.Then Samsón called unto the Lord, and said, ô Lord God, I pray thee, thinke upon me: ô God, I beseche thee, strengthen me at this time onely, that I maye be ^at once ⁿavenged of the Philistíms for my two eyes.

29.And Samsón layed holde on the two middle pillers whereupon the house stode, and on which it was borne up: on the one with his right hand, and on the other with his left.

30.Then said Samsón, ^oLet me lose my life with the Philistíms: and he bowed him with all his might, and the house fel upon the princes, and upon all the people that were therein. so the dead which he slue at his death were mo then they which he had slayne in his life.

31.Then his brethren, & all the house of his father came downe and toke him, and broght him up and buryed him betwene Zoráh and Eshtaól, in the sepulchre of Manóah his father: now he had judged Israél twentie yeres.

Judges 16

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