Judges 16:4-21

Samson and Delilah

⁴ And it cometh to pass afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name 'is' Delilah, ⁵ and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, 'Entice him, and see wherein his great power 'is', and wherein we are able for him—and we have bound him to afflict him, and we—we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.' ⁶ And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power 'is', and wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.' ⁷ And Samson saith unto her, 'If they bind me with seven green withs which have not been dried, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.' ⁸ And the princes of the Philistines bring up to her seven green withs which have not been dried, and she bindeth him with them. ⁹ And the ambush is abiding with her in an inner chamber, and she saith unto him, 'Philistines 'are' upon thee, Samson;' and he breaketh the withs as a thread of tow is broken in its smelling fire, and his power hath not been known. ¹⁰ And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Lo, thou hast played upon me, and speakest unto me lies; now, declare, I pray thee, to me, wherewith thou art bound.' ¹¹ And he saith unto her, 'If they certainly bind me with thick bands, new ones, by which work hath not been done, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.' ¹² And Delilah taketh thick bands, new ones, and bindeth him with them, and saith unto him, 'Philistines 'are' upon thee, Samson;' and the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he breaketh them from off his arms as a thread. ¹³ And Delilah saith unto Samson, 'Hitherto thou hast played upon me, and dost speak unto me lies; declare to me wherewith thou art bound.' And he saith unto her, 'If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.' ¹⁴ And she fixeth 'it' with the pin, and saith unto him, 'Philistines 'are' upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and journeyeth with the pin of the weaving machine, and with the web. ¹⁵ And she saith unto him, 'How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy great power 'is'.' ¹⁶ And it cometh to pass, because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and his soul is grieved to death, ¹⁷ that he declareth to her all his heart, and saith to her, 'A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a Nazarite to God I 'am' from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any of the human race.'

¹⁸ And Delilah seeth that he hath declared to her all his heart, and she sendeth and calleth for the princes of the Philistines, saying, 'Come up this time, for he hath declared to me all his heart;' and the princes of the Philistines have come up unto her, and bring up the money in their hand. ¹⁹ and she maketh him sleep on her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off him; ²⁰ and she saith, 'Philistines 'are' upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, 'I go out as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath turned aside from off him. ²¹ And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.