Samson Escapes Gaza

1Samson wente vnto Gasa, & there he sawe an harlot, & laye with her. 2The was it saide vnto the Gasites: Samson is come hither. And they compased him aboute, & caused to laye wayte for him preuely, & watched all the nighte in the gate of ye cite, & all that nighte they helde them styll, & sayde: Abyde, tomorow whan it is lighte, we wyll slaye him. 3But Samson laye vnto mydnighte, then rose he at mydnighte, & toke holde on both ye syde portes of ye gate of the cite, wt both the postes, & lifte them out with the barres, & layed them vpon his shulders, & bare them vp to ye toppe of ye mount ouer agaynst Hebron.

Samson and Delilah

4After this he fell into the loue of a woman by ye broke of Sorek, whose name was Dalila, 5vnto whom the prynces of the Philistynes came vp, and sayde vnto her: Persuade him, and loke wherin he hath soch greate stregth, & how we maye ouercome him, yt we mighte bynde him & subdue him, so wyll we geue the euery man a M. and an C. syluerlinges. 6And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: I praye the tell me, wherin thy greate stregth is, & how thou mightest be bounde to be subdued. 7Samson sayde vnto her: Yf I were bounde with seue roapes of fresh senowes, which are not yet dryed vp, I shulde be weake, and as another man. 8The the prynces of the Philistynes broughte vp vnto her seuen new roapes, which were not yet dryed vp. And she bounde him therwith. 9(But there was wayte layed for him besyde her in the chamber) and she sayde vnto him: The Pilistynes vpon the Samson. Neuertheles he brake the roapes in sunder, eue as a twyned threde breaketh, whan it hath catched the heate of the fyre. And it was not knowne wherin his strength was.

10Then sayde Dalila vnto Samson: beholde, thou hast begyled me & dyssembled with me: tell me yet, wherwithall mayest thou be bounde? 11He answered her: Yf they bounde me with new coardes, wherwith no labor hath bene done, I shulde be feble, & as another man. 12Then toke Dalila new coardes, & bounde him withall, and sayde: The Philistynes vpo the Samson (but there was wayte layed for him in the chamber.) And he brake them from his armes, euen as it had bene a threde.

13Dalila sayde vnto him: Yet hast thou begyled me & dessembled wt me: O tell me yet, wherwithall mightest thou be bounde? He answered her: Yf thou playtest seue hayrie lockes of my heade together in a fyllet, 14and fastenest them in with a nayle (I shulde be weake.) And she saide vnto him: The Philistynes vpo the Samson. But he awaked out of his slepe, & drue out ye playted hayrie lockes with the nale and the fyllet.

Delilah Learns the Secret

15The sayde she vnto him: How cast thou saye yt thou louest me, where as thine hert is not yet with me? Thre tymes hast thou disceaued me, and not tolde me wherin thy greate strength is. 16So whan she was euery daye importune vpon him wt her wordes, & wolde not let him haue rest, his soule was faynte euen vnto the death, 17& he shewed her his whole hert, & sayde vnto her: There came neuer rasoure vpon my heade, for I am a Nazaree of God fro my mothers wombe. Yf I were shauen, my strength shulde departe fro me, so that I shulde be weake, and as all other men.

18Now whan Dalila sawe that he had opened all his hert vnto her, she sent & called for the prynces of the Philistynes, & sayde: Come yet once vp, for he hath opened his whole hert vnto me. The came the prynces of the Philistynes vp vnto her, & broughte the money wt them in their handes. 19And she made him to slepe vpon hir lappe, & called one which shoue of the seue hayrie lockes of his heade. And she beganne to vexe him. The was his strength departed fro him. 20And she sayde vnto him: The Philistynes vpon the Samson. Now wha he awoke out of his slepe, he thoughte: I wil go forth as I haue done aforetyme, & ease my selfe, & knewe not yt the LORDE was departed from him. 21But the Philistynes toke him, & put out his eyes, and broughte him downe to Gasa, & bounde him wt fetters, and made him to grynde in the preson. 22But the heer of his heade beganne to growe agayne, where it was shauen of.

Samson’s Vengeance and Death

23Whan ye prynces of the Philistynes were gathered together, to make a greate sacrifice vnto Dagon their god, and to be ioyfull, they sayde: Oure god hath delyuered Samson or enemye in to or hande.

24Like wyse whan ye people sawe him, they praysed their god, & sayde: Oure god hath delyuered in to oure handes oure enemye, yt destroyed oure londe, & slewe many of vs.

25Now whan their hert was ioyfull, they sayde: Let vs fetch Samson, that he maye make some pastyme before vs. Then fetched they Samson out of the preson, & he made pastyme before them. And they set him betwene two pilers. 26But Samson sayde vnto the lad yt led him by the hande: Let me touche the pilers wher vpon the house stondeth, yt I maye leane ther vnto. 27As for ye house, it was full of men & wemen. All the prynces of the Philistynes were there also, and vpon the rofe were aboute a thre thousande men and wemen, which behelde what pastyme Samson made.

28But Samson called vpon the LORDE, & sayde: O LORDE LORDE, thynke vpon me, & strength me but this once O God I beseke the, yt for both myne eyes I maye auege me on the Philistynes. 29And he toke holde of ye two mydpilers, that the house stode vpon & was holden by, the one in his righte hade, & ye other in his lefte, 30& saide: My soule dye wt the Philistynes, & he bowed him selfe mightely. Then fell the house vpon the prynces & vpon all the people that were therin, so that there were mo of ye slayne which dyed in his death, the he slewe whyle he lyued. 31Then came his brethren downe and all his fathers house, and toke him, and caried him vp, and buried him in the graue of his father Manoah betwene Zarga and Esthaol. He iudged Israel twentye yeare.