1 And Samson went to Gaza and saw there a woman prostitute and went in to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” And they surrounded and lie in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city. And they were quiet all the night, saying, “At light of the morning, so we will kill him.” 3 And Samson lay until midnight. And he arose at midnight, and grabbed the doors of the gate of the city and with the two gateposts, he pulled them up with the bar and put upon his shoulders and brought them to the top of the mountain which is by the face of Hebron.
4 And it was afterwards, so he loved a woman in valley of Choice Vine, i and her name was Delilah. ii 5 And lords of Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him and see in what is his great strength and in what we may overpower him, so we might bind him to afflict him. And each one of us will give to you eleven hundred silver.”
6 And Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me in what is your great strength and in what might you be bound to afflict you.” 7 And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh strings which have not dried, so I will be weak and be as one of the Adam.” iii 8 And lords of Philistines brought up to her seven fresh strings that were not dried, and she bound him with them. 9 And the one lying in wait was staying with her in the room, and she said to him, “Philistines are upon you Samson.” And he tore the strings apart, just as the thread of the tow iv in its smelling v fire. And his strength was not made known.
10 And Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and spoken lies to me. Now, tell me, please, in what may you be bound?” 11 And he said to her, “If binding, they bind me with new ropes that no work has been done with them, I will be weak, and be just as the Adam.” 12 And Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “Philistines are upon you Samson.” And the one lying in wait was staying in the room. And he tore them from upon his arms as the thread.
13 And Delilah said to Samson, “Until here you have mocked me and spoken lies to me. Tell me in what you may be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave seven locks of my head with the loom's web.” vi 14 And she fastened with the pin, and said to him, “Philistines are upon you Samson.” And he awoke from his sleep and pulled the pin, the loom, and the loom's web. 15 And she said to him, “How do you say you love me and your heart is not with me? These three times you have mocked me and not told me in what is your great strength.”
16 And it was, that she pressed him with her words every day and urged him and annoyed his soul to death. 17 So, he told her all his heart and said to her, “A razor has not come upon my head, for I am a separate one vii of God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will turn away from me, and I will be weak and be as all of the Adam.” 18 And Delilah saw that he told her all his heart. And she sent and called to lords of Philistines saying, “Come up this time, for he has told her viii all his heart.” And lords of Philistines went up to her, and they brought the silver in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees and called for the man, and she shaved seven locks of his head. And she began to afflict him, and his strength turned away from upon him. 20 And she said, “Philistines are upon you Samson.” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as other times and be shaken out.” And he did not know that Yehvah had turned away from upon him. 21 And Philistines seized him, and they gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza and bound him in the bronze. And he was a grinder in the house of prisoners. ix
22 And hair of his head began to grow, since he was shaven. 23 And lords of Philistines were gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon x their Gods and to rejoice. And they said, “Our Gods, he has given in our hand Samson our enemies.” xi 24 And the people saw him and praised their Gods, for they said, “Our Gods, he gave in our hand our enemy and he who made our land desolate and who multiplied our slain.”
25 And it was, when their heart was good, so they said, “Call for Samson, so he might make us laugh.” And they called for Samson from the house of prisoners. And he jested xii before them. And they made him stand between the pillars. 26 And Samson said to the boy who held his hand, “Let me rest and feel the pillars where the house is established upon them and I will lean upon them.” 27 And the house was full of the men and the women and there were all lords of Philistines and upon the roof about three thousand men and women who were looking at the laughing of Samson.
28 And Samson called to Yehvah and said, “Lords Yehovih, xiii remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this time, the Gods. And let me avenge, one vengeance for my two eyes from Philistines.” 29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars that the house was established upon, one with his right and one with his left. 30 And Samson said, “Let my soul die with Philistines.” And he pushed in strength and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. And there were surely more who died in his death than died in his life.
31 And his brethren went down, and all house of his father, and they carried him and brought up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in grave of Rest his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- שרֵקרק ק (shorêq) “Choice Vine”; NKJV “Sorek” - same exact word as in Isaiah 5:2 (“choicest vine” NKJV) and Jeremiah 2:21 (“noble vine” NKJV; “choice vine” NAS). ^
- דלִילילילה ה (deliylâh) “Delilah” - only found in this chapter. ^
- ה ה ה א ה דם (hâ'âdâm) “the Adam”; OJB “adam”; NKJV, NAS “any other man”; YLT “the human race” - See footnote for Genesis 5:2. ^
- נלִיערֵקרת ת (ne`oret) “tow” NAS, KJV, YLT, Green; “yarn” NKJV - MW “short or broken fiber (as of flax, hemp, or synthetic material) that is used especially for yarn, twine, or stuffing” - only here. ^
- הב רהילרי וחו (bahariycho) “in its smelling” YLT; “when it smells” Green; “when it smelleth” DRA; “when it touches" NKJV, etc. – same root word as e.g. in Exodus 30:38 (“smell”). ^
- מהסה כת ת (masâkhet) “loom's web” VOICE; “web of the loom” NKJV; “web” NAS, KJV, YLT – found also in vs 14. ^
- לזליירִני) neziyr) “separate one” - see footnote for Numbers 6:2. ^
- Written in text, ה ה ל) lâh) “her,” more literally, “to her.” In the margin, לליי) liy) “to me.” ^
- ם ירלי סלי אר ה ה ית ק ב לִבי) bevêyt hâ'asiyriym) "the house of prisoners" Green; "the prison-house” YLT, KJV; “the prison” NKJV ^
- ן ה ד) dâgon) Found also in 1 Samuel 5:2-5, 7; 1 Chronicles 10:10. ^
- נו ק לבִאויי') oyevêynu) “our enemies” - plural form (“enemies”), yet singular context. ^
- ק ק ח לצהִיי) yetsachêq) “jested” - from the same root as Isaac's name. See footnote for Genesis 17:19. ^
- ה יההולי) yehovih) “Yehovih” - see footnote for Genesis 2:4. ^
And there was one man from Zorah from the family of the Danite and his name was Rest. -- “Rest” or “Resting Place” (same word e.g. Genesis 8:9; Deuteronomy 28:65; Lamentations 1:3); NKJV, etc. “Manoah” - this name is also found in Judges 13:8-9, 11-13, 15-17, 19-22; 16:31.
And after him Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. -- “Hillel” = “he boasts” (e.g. Psalm 10:3) or praises (as in Judges 16:24).