Hakimler 16

¹Şimşon Gazze'ye gitti; orada fahişe bir kadın gördü ve onun yanına girdi.

²Gazzelilere, "Şimşon buraya geldi" diye bildirildi. Onu kuşattılar, bütün gece kentin kapısında ona pusu kurdular ve "Şafak sökene kadar bekleyelim, sonra onu öldürürüz" diyerek bütün gece sessiz kaldılar.

³Şimşon gece yarısına kadar uyudu; gece yarısı kalkıp kent kapısının kanatlarını iki kapı sövesiyle birlikte kavradı, onları sürgüsüyle birlikte söküp omuzlarına vurdu ve Hebron'un önündeki dağın tepesine götürüp oraya bıraktı.

⁴Bundan sonra Sorek Vadisi'nde yaşayan Delila adında bir kadına aşık oldu.

⁵Filistlilerin beyleri kadının yanına çıkıp ona, "Onu aldat" dediler, "Büyük gücünün neyde olduğunu ve ona boyun eğdirmek için onu neyle bağlayıp alt edebileceğimizi öğren. Her birimiz sana bin yüz gümüş vereceğiz."

⁶Delila Şimşon'u, "Lütfen bana söyle, büyük gücün neydedir ve boyun eğdirilmen için neyle bağlanman gerekir?" dedi.

⁷Şimşon ona, "Eğer beni henüz kurumamış yedi taze kirişle bağlarlarsa, güçsüzleşir ve sıradan insanlardan biri gibi olurum" dedi.

⁸Filistlilerin beyleri kadına henüz kurumamış yedi taze kiriş getirdiler, kadın da onu bunlarla bağladı.

⁹Bu sırada kadının iç odasında pusu kurmuş bekleyenler vardı. Kadın, "Şimşon, Filistliler seni yakalamaya geliyor!" diye bağırdı. Ama Şimşon, ateş değmiş keten ipliğinin kopması gibi kirişleri koparıp attı; böylece gücünün sırrı anlaşılamadı.

¹⁰Delila Şimşon'u, "Bak, beni aldattın ve bana yalan söyledin" dedi, "Şimdi lütfen bana söyle, neyle bağlanman gerekir?"

¹¹Şimşon ona, "Eğer beni üzerinde hiçbir iş yapılmamış yeni halatlarla sıkıca bağlarlarsa, güçsüzleşir ve sıradan insanlardan biri gibi olurum" dedi.

¹²Delila yeni halatlar alıp onu bağladı. İç odada pusu kurmuş bekleyenler varken kadına, "Şimşon, Filistliler seni yakalamaya geliyor!" dedi. Şimşon halatları bir iplik gibi kollarından koparıp attı.

¹³Delila Şimşon'u, "Bak, hâlâ beni aldatıyor ve bana yalan söylüyorsun" dedi, "Bana söyle, neyle bağlanman gerekir?" Şimşon ona, "Eğer başımın yedi örgüsünü dokuma tezgahındaki erişle birlikte dokur ve kazıkla duvara çakarsan, zayıf ve sıradan bir insan gibi olurum" dedi.

¹⁴Şimşon uyurken Delila onun saçının yedi örgüsünü aldı, erişle birlikte dokudu ve kazıkla duvara çaktı. Sonra, "Şimşon, Filistliler seni yakalamaya geliyor!" diye bağırdı. Şimşon uykusundan uyandı ve dokuma kazığı ile tezgahı duvardan söküp çıkardı.

¹⁵Delila ona, "Yüreğin benimle olmadıktan sonra nasıl 'Seni seviyorum' dersin?" dedi, "Bu üçüncü kezdir beni aldatıyorsun ve o büyük gücünün neyde olduğunu bana söylemedin."

¹⁶Kadın her gün sözleriyle onu sıkıştırıp durdu ve onu bunalttı; öyle ki Şimşon'un ruhu ölüm derecesinde daraldı.

¹⁷Sonunda ona bütün kalbini açtı: "Başıma hiç demir değmedi" dedi, "Çünkü ben annemin rahminden beri Tanrı'nın kutsalıyım. Eğer tıraş edilirsem gücüm benden uzaklaşır, zayıflar ve bütün insanlar gibi olurum."

¹⁸Delila onun bütün kalbini açtığını anlayınca, Filist beylerine haber gönderip, "Bu kez de gelin, çünkü bana bütün kalbini açtı" dedi. Filist beyleri ellerinde gümüş parayla kadına geldiler.

¹⁹Delila Şimşon'u dizleri üzerinde uyuttu. Sonra bir adam çağırıp başındaki yedi saç örgüsünü tıraş ettirdi. Böylece onu zayıflatmaya başladı ve gücü kendisinden uzaklaştı.

²⁰Kadın, "Şimşon, Filistliler seni yakalamaya geliyor!" diye bağırdı. Şimşon uykusundan uyandı ve "Her zamanki gibi çıkıp silkelenirim" diye düşündü. Ama Rab'bin kendisinden uzaklaştığını bilmiyordu.

²¹Filistliler onu yakalayıp gözlerini oydular. Onu Gazze'ye götürüp tunç prangalarla bağladılar; zindan evinde değirmen döndürmekteydi.

²²Ancak başının saçı, tıraş edildiği gibi yeniden uzamaya başladı.

²³Filistlilerin beyleri, ilahları Dagon'a büyük bir kurban sunmak ve eğlenmek üzere toplandılar. "Tanrımız düşmanımız Şimşon'u elimize teslim etti" dediler.

²⁴Halk onu görünce ilahlarına övgüler yağdırdı: "Toprağımızı viran eden ve birçoğumuzu yaralayıp öldüren düşmanımızı tanrımız elimize teslim etti" dediler.

²⁵Keyifleri yerindeyken, "Şimşon'u zindan evinden çağırın da bizi eğlendirsin" dediler. Şimşon'u zindan evinden getirdiler, onların önünde oynadı; ona tokat attılar ve onu sütunların arasında durdurdular.

²⁶Şimşon elinden tutan gence, "Beni serbest bırak, üzerinde evin durduğu sütunlara dokunayım da onlara yaslanayım" dedi.

²⁷Tapınak kadın ve erkeklerle doluydu; Filistlilerin bütün beyleri de oradaydı. Damda da Şimşon'un oyunlarını izleyen üç bin kadar kadın ve erkek vardı.

²⁸Şimşon Rab'be feryat ederek şöyle dedi: "Ey Adonay Rab, lütfen beni hatırla! Ey Tanrım, iki gözümün öcünü Filistlilerden tek bir kerede alabilmem için beni yalnızca bu kez güçlendir!"

²⁹Şimşon üzerinde evin durduğu iki sütunu kucakladı; sağ eliyle birine, sol eliyle diğerine yaslandı.

³⁰Şimşon, "Canım yabancılarla birlikte ölsün!" dedi ve bütün gücüyle yüklendi. Tapınak içindeki beylerin ve bütün halkın üzerine çöktü. Böylece Şimşon'un ölürken öldürdüğü insan sayısı, yaşarken öldürdüklerinden daha çok oldu.

³¹Kardeşleri ve babasının bütün ailesi aşağı gelip onun cesedini aldılar. Geri dönüp onu Saraa ile Esthaol arasında, babası Manoah'ın mezarına gömdüler. Şimşon yirmi yıl boyunca İsrail'e hakimlik yaptı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐπορεύθη Σαμψὼν εἰς Γάζαν· καὶ εἶδεν ἐκεῖ γυναῖκα πόρνην καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν.

²καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τοῖς Γαζαίοις λέγοντες· ἥκει Σαμψὼν ὧδε. καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν καὶ ἐνήδρευσαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἐν τῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐκώφευσαν ὅλην τὴν νύκτα λέγοντες· ἕως διαφαύσῃ ὁ ὄρθρος, καὶ φονεύσωμεν αὐτόν.

³καὶ ἐκοιμήθη Σαμψὼν ἕως μεσονυκτίου· καὶ ἀνέστη ἐν ἡμίσει τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ ἐπελάβετο τῶν θυρῶν τῆς πύλης τῆς πόλεως σὺν τοῖς δυσὶ σταθμοῖς καὶ ἀνεβάσταζεν αὐτὰς σὺν τῷ μοχλῷ καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ ὤμων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ Χεβρὼν καὶ ἔθηκεν αὐτὰ ἐκεῖ.

⁴Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἠγάπησε γυναῖκα ἐν ᾿Αλσωρήχ, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Δαλιδά.

⁵καὶ ἀνέβησαν πρὸς αὐτὴν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ· ἀπάτησον αὐτόν, καὶ ἰδὲ ἐν τίνι ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἐν τίνι δυνησόμεθα αὐτῷ καὶ δήσομεν αὐτὸν τοῦ ταπεινῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ ἡμεῖς δώσομέν σοι ἀνὴρ χιλίους καὶ ἑκατὸν ἀργυρίου.

⁶καὶ εἶπε Δαλιδὰ πρὸς Σαμψών· ἀπάγγειλον δή μοι ἐν τίνι ἡ ἰσχύς σου ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἐν τίνι δεθήσῃ τοῦ ταπεινωθῆναί σε.

⁷καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν Σαμψών· ἐὰν δήσωσί με ἐν ἑπτὰ νευραῖς ὑγραῖς μὴ διεφθαρμέναις, καὶ ἀσθενήσω καὶ ἔσομαι ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

⁸καὶ ἀνήνεγκαν αὐτῇ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἑπτὰ νευρὰς ὑγρὰς μὴ διεφθαρμένας, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν ἐν αὐταῖς·

⁹καὶ τὸ ἔνεδρον αὐτῇ ἐκάθητο ἐν τῷ ταμιείῳ· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ σέ, Σαμψών· καὶ διέσπασε τὰς νευράς, ὡς εἴ τις ἀποσπάσοι στρέμμα στυπίου ἐν τῷ ὀσφρανθῆναι αὐτὸ πυρός· καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώσθη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ.

¹⁰καὶ εἶπε Δαλιδὰ πρὸς Σαμψών· ἰδοὺ ἐπλάνησάς με καὶ ἐλάλησας πρός με ψευδῆ· νῦν οὖν ἀνάγγειλόν μοι ἐν τίνι δεθήσῃ.

¹¹καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτήν· ἐὰν δεσμεύοντες δήσωσί με ἐν καλωδίοις καινοῖς, οἷς οὐκ ἐγένετο ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔργον, καὶ ἀσθενήσω καὶ ἔσομαι ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

¹²καὶ ἔλαβε Δαλιδὰ καλώδια καινὰ καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ τὰ ἔνεδρα ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ ταμιείου· καὶ εἶπεν· ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ σέ, Σαμψών· καὶ διέσπασεν αὐτὰ ἀπὸ βραχιόνων αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ σπαρτίον.

¹³καὶ εἶπε Δαλιδὰ πρὸς Σαμψών· ἰδοὺ ἐπλάνησάς με καὶ ἐλάλησας πρός με ψευδῆ· ἀνάγγειλον δή μοι ἐν τίνι δεθήσῃ. καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτήν· ἐὰν ὑφάνης τὰς ἑπτὰ σειρὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς μου σὺν τῷ διάσματι καὶ ἐγκρούσῃς τῷ πασσάλῳ εἰς τὸν τοῖχον, καὶ ἔσομαι ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀσθενής.

¹⁴καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κοιμᾶσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλαβε Δαλιδὰ τὰς ἑπτὰ σειρὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὕφανεν ἐν τῷ διάσματι καὶ ἔπηξε τῷ πασσάλῳ εἰς τὸν τοῖχον καὶ εἶπεν· ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ σέ, Σαμψών· καὶ ἐξυπνίσθη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξῇρε τὸν πάσσαλον τοῦ ὑφάσματος ἐκ τοῦ τοίχου.

¹⁵καὶ εἶπε πρὸς Σαμψὼν Δαλιδά· πῶς λέγεις, ἠγάπηκά σε, καὶ ἡ καρδία σου οὐκ ἔστι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ; τοῦτο τρίτον ἐπλάνησάς με καὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι ἐν τίνι ἡ ἰσχύς σου ἡ μεγάλη.

¹⁶καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε ἐξέθλιψεν αὐτὸν ἐν λόγοις αὐτῆς πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ ἐστενοχώρησεν αὐτόν, καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησεν ἕως τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν·

¹⁷καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτῇ πᾶσαν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· σίδηρος οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου, ὅτι ἅγιος Θεοῦ ἐγώ εἰμι ἀπὸ κοιλίας μητρός μου· ἐὰν οὖν ξυρήσωμαι, ἀποστήσεται ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς μου, καὶ ἀσθενήσω καὶ ἔσομαι ὡς πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι.

¹⁸καὶ εἶδε Δαλιδά, ὅτι ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῇ πᾶσαν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε καὶ ἐκάλεσε τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, λέγουσα· ἀνάβητε ἔτι τὸ ἅπαξ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἀπήγγειλέ μοι πᾶσαν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀνέβησαν πρὸς αὐτὴν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἀνήνεγκαν τὸ ἀργύριον ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν.

¹⁹καὶ ἐκοίμισε Δαλιδὰ τὸν Σαμψὼν ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ἄνδρα, καὶ ἐξύρησε τὰς ἑπτὰ σειρὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἤρξατο ταπεινῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

²⁰καὶ εἶπε Δαλιδά· ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ σέ, Σαμψών. καὶ ἐξυπνίσθη ἐκ τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐξελεύσομαι ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ ἐκτιναχθήσομαι· καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔγνω ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἀπέστη ἀπάνωθεν αὐτοῦ.

²¹καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ ἐξέκοψαν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ· καὶ κατήνεγκαν αὐτὸν εἰς Γάζαν καὶ ἐπέδησαν αὐτὸν ἐν πέδαις χαλκείαις, καὶ ἦν ἀλήθων ἐν οἴκῳ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου.

²²Καὶ ἤρξατο θρὶξ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ βλαστάνειν, καθὼς ἐξυρήσατο.

²³καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἀλλοφύλων συνήχθησαν θυσιάσαι θυσίασμα μέγα τῷ Δαγὼν θεῷ αὐτῶν καὶ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ εἶπαν· ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν χειρὶ ἡμῶν τὸν Σαμψὼν τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἡμῶν.

²⁴καὶ εἶδον αὐτὸν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ὕμνησαν τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν, ὅτι παρέδωκεν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἡμῶν ἐν χειρὶ ἡμῶν, τὸν ἐρημοῦντα τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν, καὶ ὃς ἐπλήθυνε τοὺς τραυματίας ἡμῶν.

²⁵καὶ ὅτε ἠγαθύνθη ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν, καὶ εἶπαν· καλέσατε τὸν Σαμψὼν ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς, καὶ παιξάτω ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν. καὶ ἐκάλεσαν τὸν Σαμψὼν ἐξ οἴκου δεσμωτηρίου, και ἔπαιζεν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐρράπιζον αὐτὸν καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτὸν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν κιόνων.

²⁶καὶ εἶπε Σαμψὼν πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν τὸν κρατοῦντα τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ· ἄφες με καὶ ψηλαφήσω τοὺς κίονας, ἐφ᾿ οἷς ὁ οἶκος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς, καὶ ἐπιστηριχθήσομαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς.

²⁷καὶ ὁ οἶκος πλήρης τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ ἐκεῖ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιοι ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες οἱ θεωροῦντες ἐν παγνίαις Σαμψών.

²⁸καὶ ἔκλαυσε Σαμψὼν πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ εἶπεν· ᾿Αδωναϊὲ Κύριε, μνήσθητι δή μου νῦν καὶ ἐνίσχυσόν με ἔτι τὸ ἅπαξ τοῦτο, Θεέ, καὶ ἀνταποδώσω ἀνταπόδοσιν μίαν περὶ τῶν δύο ὀφθαλμῶν μου τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις.

²⁹καὶ περιέλαβε Σαμψὼν τοὺς δύο κίονας τοῦ οἴκου, ἐφ᾿ οὓς ὁ οἶκος εἱστήκει, καὶ ἐπεστηρίχθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκράτησεν ἕνα τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕνα τῇ ἀριστερᾷ αὐτοῦ.

³⁰καὶ εἶπε Σαμψών· ἀποθανέτω ψυχή μου μετὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· καὶ ἐβάσταξεν ἐν ἰσχύϊ, καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ οἶκος ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἦσαν οἱ τεθνηκότες, οὓς ἐθανάτωσε Σαμψὼν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ, πλείους ἢ οὓς ἐθανάτωσεν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ.

³¹καὶ κατέβησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν καὶ ἀνέβησαν καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτὸν ἀνὰ μέσον Σαραὰ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον ᾿Εσθαὸλ ἐν τῷ τάφῳ Μανωὲ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. καὶ αὐτὸς ἔκρινε τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ εἴκοσιν ἔτη.

¹And Sampson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in to her.

²And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, Sampson is come hither: and they compassed him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and they were quiet all the night, saying, Let us wait till the dawn appear, and we will slay him.

³And Sampson slept till midnight, and rose up at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city with the two posts, and lifted them up with the bar, and laid them on his shoulders, and he went up to the top of the mountain that is before Chebron, and laid them there.

⁴And it came to pass after this that he loved a woman in Alsorech, and her name [was] Dalida.

⁵And the princes of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Beguile him, and see wherein his great strength [is], and wherewith we shall prevail against him, and bind him to humble him; and we will give thee each eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.

⁶And Dalida said to Sampson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein [is] thy great strength, and wherewith thou shalt be bound that thou mayest be humbled.

⁷And Sampson said to her, If they bind me with seven moist cords that have not been spoiled, then shall I be weak and be as one of ordinary men.

⁸And the princes of the Philistines brought to her seven moist cords that had not been spoiled, and she bound him with them.

⁹And the liers in wait remained with her in the chamber; and she said to him, the Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he broke the cords as if any one should break a thread of tow when it has touched the fire, and his strength was not known.

¹⁰And Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast cheated me, and told me lies; now then tell me wherewith thou shalt be bound.

¹¹And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes with which work has not been done, then shall I be weak, and shall be as another man.

¹²And Dalida took new ropes, and bound him with them, and the liers in wait came out of the chamber, and she said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he broke them off his arms like a thread.

¹³And Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; tell me, I intreat thee, wherewith thou mayest be bound: and he said to her, If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web, and shouldest fasten them with the pin into the wall, then shall I be weak as another man.

¹⁴And it came to pass when he was asleep, that Dalida took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the web, and fastened them with the pin into the wall, and she said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he awoke out of his sleep, and carried away the pin of the web out of the wall.

¹⁵And Dalida said to Sampson, How sayest thou, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? this third time thou hast deceived me, and hast not told me wherein [is] thy great strength.

¹⁶And it came to pass as she pressed him sore with her words continually, and straitened him, that his spirit failed almost to death.

¹⁷Then he told her all his heart, and said to her, A razor has not come upon my head, because I have been a holy [one] of God from my mother’s womb; if then I should be shaven, my strength will depart from me, and I shall be weak, and I shall be as all [other] men.

¹⁸And Dalida saw that he told her all his heart, and she sent and called the princes of the Philistines, saying, Come up yet this once; for he has told me all his heart. And the chiefs of the Philistines went up to her, and brought the money in their hands.

¹⁹And Dalida made Sampson sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and he shaved the seven locks of his head, and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.

²⁰And Dalida said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at former times, and shake myself; and he knew not that the Lord was departed from him.

²¹And the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground in the prison-house.

²²And the hair of his head began to grow as before it was shaven.

²³And the chiefs of the Philistines met to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to make merry; and they said, God has given into our hand our enemy Sampson.

²⁴And the people saw him, and sang praises to their god; for our god, [said they], has delivered into our hand our enemy, who wasted our land, and who multiplied our slain.

²⁵And when their heart was merry, then they said, Call Sampson out of the prison-house, and let him play before us: and they called Sampson out of the prison-house, and he played before them; and they smote him with the palms of their hands, and set him between the pillars.

²⁶And Sampson said to the young man that held his hand, Suffer me to feel the pillar on which the house [rests], and I will stay myself upon them.

²⁷And the house [was] full of men and women, and there were all the chiefs of the Philistines, and on the roof [were] about three thousand men and women looking at the sports of Sampson.

²⁸And Sampson wept before the Lord, and said, O Lord, my lord, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, O God, yet this once, and I will requite one recompense to the Philistines for my two eyes.

²⁹And Sampson took hold of the two pillars of the house on which the house stood, and leaned on them, and laid hold of one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

³⁰And Sampson said, Let my life perish with the Philistines: and he bowed himself mightily; and the house fell upon the princes, and upon all the people that were in it: and the dead whom Sampson slew in his death were more than those whom he slew in his life.

³¹And his brethren and his father’s house went down, and they took him; and they went up and buried him between Saraa and Esthaol in the sepulchre of his father Manoe; and he judged Israel twenty years.