Samson Escapes Gaza

1Then went Samson to Azzah, and sawe there an harlot, and went in vnto her. 2And it was tolde the Azathites, saying: Samson is come hyther. And they went about, and layde a wayte for hym there all nyght in the gate of the citie, and were styll all the nyght, saying: In the mornyng whan it is day, we shall kyll hym. 3And Samson toke his rest tyll mydnyght, and arose at mydnyght, and toke the doores of the gate of the citie, and the two postes, and rent them of with the barre and all, and put them vppon his shoulders, and caryed them vp to the top of an hyll, that is before Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

4And after this, he loued a woman by the ryuer of Sorek, whose name was Dalila. 5Unto whom came the lordes of the Philistines, and sayde vnto her: Perswade him, and see wherin his great strength lyeth, and by what meanes we may ouercome him, that we may bynde him, and punishe hym: and euery one of vs shall geue thee a leuen hundred siluer lynges. 6And Dalila sayde to Samson: Oh, tell me where thy great strength lyeth, and how thou myghtest be bounde and brought vnder. 7Samson aunswered vnto her: Yf they binde me with seuen greene wythes that were neuer dryed, I shalbe weake, and be as an other man. 8And then the lordes of the Philistines brought her seuen wythes that were yet greene & neuer dryed, and she bound hym therwith. 9(Notwithstanding she had men lying in wayte with her in the chaumbre): And she said vnto him, The Philistines be vpon thee Samson. And immediatly he brake the cordes, as a stryng of towe breaketh when it fealeth fire. And so his strength was not knowen.

10And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: See, thou hast mocked me, and tolde me lies: Now therfore tell me wherwith thou myghtest be bounde. 11He aunswered her: Yf they bynde me with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, I shall be weake, and be as an other man. 12Dalila therfore toke newe ropes, and bounde him therwith, and sayde vnto him, The Philistines be vpo thee Samson. (And there were lyers of wayte in the chamber.) And he brake them from of his armes, as they had ben but a threade.

13And Dalila sayde vnto Samson, Hytherto thou hast beguyled me, and tolde me lyes: Yet tell me howe thou myghtest be bounde. He sayde vnto her: Yf thou plattest the seuen lockes of my head with the threades of the wooffe. 14And she fastened it with a pynne, and sayde vnto him: The Philistines be vpo thee Samson. And he awaked out of his sleepe, and went away with the pynne of the webbe and the wooffe.

Delilah Learns the Secret

15And she sayde vnto him agayne: How canst thou saye I loue thee, when thyne heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me this three tymes, and hast not tolde me wherin thy great strength lyeth. 16And as she laye vpon hym with her wordes, continually vexyng of him, his soule was encumbred eue vnto ye death. 17And so he tolde her all his heart, & said vnto her: There neuer came rasor vpon myne head, for I haue ben a Nazarite vnto God, euen from my mothers wombe: Therfore when I am shauen, my strength will go from me, & I shall waxe weake, and be lyke all other men.

18And when Dalila sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent and called for the lordes of the Philistines, saying: Come vp yet this once, for he hath shewed me all his hearte. Then ye lordes of the Philistines came vp vnto her, and brought the money in their handes. 19And she made hym sleepe vpon her knees, and she sent for a man, and he dyd shaue of the seuen lockes of his head, & began to vexe him, and his strength was gone from him. 20And she sayde, The Philistines be vp in thee Samson. And he awoke out of his sleepe, and sayde: I will go out now as at other tymes before, & shake my selfe. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from hym. 21But the Philistines toke hym, and put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Azzah, and bounde him with fetters of brasse: and he dyd grynde in the prison house. 22Howbeit the heere of his head began to growe agayne after that he was shauen.

Samson’s Vengeance and Death

23Then the lordes of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solempne offring vnto Dagon their God, and to reioyce: For they sayd, Our God hath deliuered Samson our enemie into our handes.

24And when the people sawe him, they praysed their God: for they sayde, Our God hath delyuered into our handes our enemie, and destroyer of our countrey, whiche slue manye of vs.

25And when their heartes were mery, they sayde: Send for Samson, that he may make vs laugh. And they set Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them: and they set hym betweene the pyllers. 26And Samson sayde vnto the lad that led hym by the hande: Set me that I may touche the pyllers that the house standeth vpon, and that I may leane to them. 27And the house was full of men and women, and there were all the lordes of the Philistines: And there were vpon the roofe a three thousande men and women, that behelde whyle Samson played.

28And Samson called vnto the Lorde, and sayde: O Lorde God I pray thee thyncke vpon me, and strengthen me I beseche thee at this tyme onelye O God, that I may be at once auenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29And Samson caught the two middle pyllers on which the house stoode and on which it was borne vp, the one in his ryght hande, and the other in his left. 30And Samson sayde: My soule shall dye with the Philistines, and bowed them with all his myght, and the house fell vpon the lordes and vpon all the people that were therin: And so ye dead which he slue at his death, were mo then they which he slue in his lyfe. 31And then his brethren & all the house of his father came downe, and toke him vp, and brought hym, and buryed hym betweene Zarah and Esthaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father: And he iudged Israel twentie yeres.