Samson’s Revenge

1Bvt within a while after, in the time of wheate haruest, Samson visited his wife with a kid, saying, I wil go in to my wife into the chamber: but her father would not suffer him to goe in. 2And her father sayde, I thought that thou hadst hated her: therefore gaue I her to thy companion. Is not her yonger sister fayrer then shee? take her, I pray thee, in stead of the other.

3Then Samson saide vnto them, Nowe am I more blamelesse then the Philistims: therefore will I doe them displeasure. 4And Samson went out, and tooke three hundreth foxes, and tooke firebrands, and turned them taile to taile, and put a firebrand in ye middes betweene two tailes. 5And when he had set the brandes on fire, he sent them out into the standing corne of the Philistims, and burnt vp both the rickes and the standing corne with the vineyardes and oliues. 6Then the Philistims sayde, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson the sonne in law of the Timnite, because hee had taken his wife, and giuen her to his companion. Then the Philistims came vp and burnt her and her father with fire. 7And Samson saide vnto them, Though yee haue done this, yet wil I be auenged of you, and then I wil cease. 8So hee smote them hippe and thigh with a mightie plague: then hee went and dwelt in the top of the rocke Etam.

9Then the Philistims came vp, and pitched in Iudah, and were spred abroad in Lehi. 10And the men of Iudah sayde, Why are yee come vp vnto vs? And they answered, To binde Samson are we come vp, and to do to him as hee hath done to vs. 11Then three thousande men of Iudah went to the top of the rocke Etam, and sayde to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistims are rulers ouer vs? Wherefore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? And he answered them, As they did vnto me, so haue I done vnto them. 12Againe they sayd vnto him, Wee are come to binde thee, and to deliuer thee into the hande of the Philistims; Samson sayde vnto them, Sweare vnto me, that yee will not fall vpon me your selues. 13And they answered him, saying, No, but we will bynde thee and deliuer thee vnto their hande, but we will not kill thee; they bound him with two newe cordes, & brought him from the rocke.

14When hee came to Lehi, the Philistims shouted against him, and the Spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and the cordes that were vpon his armes, became as flaxe that was burnt with fire: for the bandes loosed from his handes. 15And he found a new iawebone of an asse, and put forth his hand, and caught it, and slewe a thousand men therewith.

16Then Samson sayd, With the iaw of an asse are heapes vpon heapes: with the iawe of an asse haue I slaine a thousand men.

17And when he had left speaking, hee cast away the iawebone out of his hande, and called that place, Ramath-Lehi. 18And he was sore a thirst, and called on the Lorde, and sayde, Thou hast giuen this great deliuerance into the hand of thy seruaunt: and nowe shall I dye for thirst, and fall into the handes of the vncircumcised? 19Then God brake the cheeke tooth, that was in the iawe, and water came thereout: and when he had drunke, his Spirit came againe, and he was reuiued: wherefore the name therof is called, Enhakkore, which is in Lehi vnto this day. 20And hee iudged Israel in the dayes of the Philistims twentie yeeres.