Samson is Blinded, but Prevails in the End |
Judges 16:1-31 The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks] |
Then, Samson went to Gaza, & saw a harlot there & [was intimate with] her. The Gazites [were] told, saying, Samson [has] come [here,] & they [surrounded Samson] [& blocked him,] [inside,] & laid in wait, [a.k.a. to ambush, Samson] all night, [quietly throughout] the night, in the [city’s] gate, saying, We shall kill [Samson] in the morning when it’s [daylight.] |
And Samson lay [there] [until] midnight, & arose at midnight, & took the gate doors of the city, & [it's] 2 posts, bar & all & put them on his shoulders & went away with them, & carried them up to the top of the hill that is [in front of] Hebron. |
And it [happened] afterward, that [Samson] loved a [different] woman, [named] Delilah, in the Valley of Sorek. And the Philistine lords came up to [Delilah] & said, [Convince Samson] to [tell us] [in what] his great strength [lies,] & [how] we may prevail against, [a.k.a. overcome,] him, & [tie] him [up] to afflict him. |
Everyone of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, I pray [that] you, tell me [in what] your great strength [lies,] & [with what] you [might] be [tied] to afflict you. And Samson said to her, If they [tie] me with 7 [fresh bowstrings] that were never dried, then I shall be weak, [like] another man. |
Then, the [Philistine] lords brought her 7 [fresh bowstrings that] hadn’t been dried, & she [tied Samson] with them. Now, there were men lying in wait, [secretly] [staying] with her in the [room.] |
And [Delilah] said to [Samson,] The Philistines [are] upon you, Samson. And [Samson] broke the [fresh bowstrings, like] a thread of [yarn] is broken when it [touches] the fire. So [Samson’s] strength was not known. |
And Delilah said to Samson, [Look,] you [have] mocked me & told me lies. Now, I pray [that] you tell me [with what] you might be [tied.] And [Samson] said to her, If they [tie] me [tightly] with new ropes that never [had been used,] then, I shall be as weak, & be [like any other] man. |
Therefore, Delilah took new ropes, & [tied Samson with them,] & said to him, The Philistines [are] upon you, Samson. There were [men lying] in wait in the [room.] And [Samson broke the ropes] from off his arms like thread. And Delilah said to Samson, You [have] mocked me [until now,] & told me lies. |
Tell me [with what] you might be [tied.] And [Samson] said to [Delilah,] If you [weave] 7 locks of [my hair on] my head, with the web, [a.k.a. loom.] And she fastened [the 7 locks of his hair,] with the pin, & said to [Samson,] The Philistines [are] upon you, Samson. |
And [Samson awoke from] his sleep, & went away with the pin of the beam, & the web, [still attached to his hair.] And [Delilah] said to [Samson,], How [can] you say, I love you, when your heart isn’t with me? |
You [have] mocked me these 3 times, & you [haven’t] told me [in what] your great strength [lies.] And it [happened] [after] she [pressured] him daily with her words, & urged [Samson, until she troubled] his soul to death. |
[Samson] told [Delilah,] all [that was on] his heart & said to her, A razor [hasn’t] come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my [birth,] from my [mother.] If [my hair is shaved,] then my strength will go from me, & I shall become weak, & be like any other man. |
When Delilah saw that [Samson] had told her all [that was on] his heart, she sent for the [Philistine] lords & [said,] Come up this [one] [last time,] for [Samson] has [declared] all [upon] his heart [to] me. Then, the [Philistine] lords came up to her, & brought [the] money in their [hands.] |
And [Delilah] made [Samson] sleep upon her knees; & she called for a man, & [made] him shave off the 7 locks of [hair] on [Samson’s] head. [Delilah] began to afflict [Samson,] & his strength [was gone] from him. |
And [Delilah] said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And he [woke up from] his sleep & said, I will go out [like the] other times before, & shake myself, but he [didn’t know] that the Lord [had] departed from him. |
But the Philistines took [Samson,] & put out his eyes, [a.k.a. made him blind,] & brought him down to Gaza. [They] bound him in brass [shackles,] & [forced him to] grind [grain] in the prison. [However] the hair of his head began to grow again after he was [shaved.] |
Then, the [Philistine] lords gathered them, [a.k.a. the Philistines,] together to offer a [large] sacrifice to Dagon, their god, & to rejoice. For they said, Our god [has] delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hand. |
And when the people saw [Samson,] they praised their god. For they said, Our god [has] delivered our enemy & the destroyer of our country, into our hands, [who killed] many of us. And it [happened,] when their hearts were merry, they said, Call for Samson, [so] that he may [perform for us.] |
And they called for Samson, [to be brought] out of the prison, & he [performed for] them. [Afterward,] they [stood Samson] between the pillars. And Samson said to the lad [who guided] him by the hand, [because he was blind,] [Allow] me, [so] that I may feel the pillars [upon which] [the upper floor of the] house stands, [so] I may lean on them. |
Now, the house, [a.k.a.temple,] was full of all the [Philistine] lords, about 3,000 men & women were upon the roof, [who watched] while Samson [performed.] And Samson called [out] to the Lord & said, O Lord God, I pray You remember me only this once, & strengthen me, O God, [so] that I may be avenged of the Philistines, at once for my 2 eyes. |
And Samson took hold of the 2 middle pillars upon which the house stood, & was [held] up, [with] his right hand on one [pillar,] & his left hand on the other [pillar that supported the house above him.] |
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And [Samson] bowed himself with all his might & the house fell upon the [Philistine] lords & upon the people [in it.] So, the dead [that Samson killed] at his death, were more than [those, that] he [killed throughout] his life. |
Then, his brethren & all of his [father’s] house came down, & took [Samson’s] [body,] & brought him up, & buried him between Zorah & Eshtaol, in the place [they buried] Manoah, his father. And [Samson] judged Israel for 20 years. |