Judges 16:1-12 ▼

1 One day Samson (like the sun) went to Gaza (the strong), where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.

2 When the Gazites heard that Samson (like the sun) was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”

3 But Samson (like the sun) lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron (association).

4 Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek (choice vines), whose name was Delilah (feeble).

5 The lords of the Philistines (immigrants) went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver <27.6 lb / 12.5 kg>.

6 So Delilah (feeble) said to Samson (like the sun), “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

7 Samson (like the sun) told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”

8 So the lords of the Philistines (immigrants) brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.

9 While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson (like the sun), the Philistines are (immigrants) here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.

10 Then Delilah (feeble) said to Samson (like the sun), “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”

11 He replied, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man.”

12 So Delilah (feeble) took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson (like the sun), the Philistines are (immigrants) here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.