Judges 16:1-12 ▼

1 THEN Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and he went in unto her.

2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson has come here. And they lay in wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were whispering all night, saying, When the morning dawns, we shall kill him.

3 But Samson slept till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the two door-posts of the gate of the city, and lifted them up, together with the bars thereof, and put them on his shoulder and carried them to the mountain that is before Hebron.

4 And it came to pass after this, he loved a woman in the valley of Sarok, whose name was Delilah.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to disgrace him; and we will give you every one of us thirteen hundred pieces of silver.

6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound, and how that you may become weak.

7 And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that were never dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had never been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now there were men lying in wait in her inner chamber. And she said to him, The Philistines have come upon you, Samson. And he broke the bowstrings as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not disturbed.

10 And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now tell me with what you might be bound.

11 And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new chains that never were used, then shall I be weak and be like any other man.

12 So Delilah took new chains and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines have come upon you, Samson. And the men were lying in wait in the inner chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.