Judges 15

Samson’s Revenge

1Later onH1961H3117, at the timeH3117 of the wheatH2406 harvestH7105, SamsonH8123 tookH1423 a young goatH5795 and went to visitH6485 his wifeH802. “I want to goH935 toH413 my wifeH802 in her roomH2315,” he saidH559. But her fatherH1 would notH3808 let himH5414 enterH935.

2“I was sureH559 thatH3588 you thoroughly hated herH8130,” saidH559 her fatherH1, “so I gave herH5414 to one of the men who accompanied youH4828. Is notH3808 her youngerH6996 sisterH269 more beautifulH2896 than sheH4480? PleaseH4994 take herH1961 insteadH8478.”

3SamsonH8123 saidH559 to them, “This timeH6471 I will be blamelessH5352 in doingH6213 harmH7451 to the PhilistinesH6430.”

4Then SamsonH8123 went outH1980 and caughtH3920 threeH7969 hundredH3967 foxesH7776. And he tookH3947 torchesH3940, turnedH6437 the foxes tail-to-tailH2180H413, and fastenedH7760 aH259 torchH3940 betweenH996 each pairH8147 of tailsH2180H8432. 5Then he litH1197H784 the torchesH3940 and releasedH7971 the foxes into the standing grainH7054 of the PhilistinesH6430, burning upH1197 the piles of grainH1430H5704 and the standing grainH7054, as well asH5704 the vineyardsH3754 and olive grovesH2132.

6“WhoH4310 didH6213 thisH2063?” the PhilistinesH6430 demandedH559.

“It was SamsonH8123, the son-in-lawH2860 of the TimniteH8554,” they were toldH559. “ForH3588 his wifeH802 was givenH5414 to his companionH4828.”

So the PhilistinesH6430 went upH5927 and burnedH8313 her and her fatherH1 to deathH784.

7And SamsonH8123 toldH559 them, “BecauseH518 you have doneH6213 thisH2063, I will not restH2308 untilH3588H518 I have taken vengeanceH5358 upon you.” 8And he struckH5221 themH853 ruthlesslyH7785H5921H34091 with a greatH1419 slaughterH4347, and then went downH3381 and stayedH3427 in the caveH5585 at the rockH5553 of EtamH5862.

9Then the PhilistinesH6430 went upH5927, campedH2583 in JudahH3063, and deployed themselvesH5203 near the town of LehiH3896.2

10“WhyH4100 have you attackedH5927 usH5921?” saidH559 the menH376 of JudahH3063.

The Philistines repliedH559, “We have comeH5927 to arrestH631 SamsonH8123 and pay him backH6213 for whatH834 he has doneH6213 to us.”

11In response, threeH7969 thousandH505 menH376 of JudahH3063 wentH3381 toH413 the caveH5585 at the rockH5553 of EtamH5862, and they askedH559 SamsonH8123, “Do you notH3808 realizeH3045 thatH3588 the PhilistinesH6430 ruleH4910 over us? WhatH4100H2063 have you doneH6213 to us?”

“I have doneH6213 to them whatH3651 they didH6213 to me,” he repliedH559.

12But they saidH559 to him, “We have come downH3381 to arrest youH631 and hand you over toH5414H3027 the PhilistinesH6430.”

SamsonH8123 repliedH559, “SwearH7650 to me thatH6435 you will not kill meH6293 yourselves.”

13“NoH3808,” they answeredH559, “we will notH3808H4191 kill youH4191, butH3588 we will tie you up securelyH631 and hand you over toH5414 themH3027.” So they bound himH631 with twoH8147 newH2319 ropesH5688 and led him upH5927 fromH4480 the rockH5553.

14WhenH1931 Samson arrivedH935 inH5704 LehiH3896, the PhilistinesH6430 came out shoutingH7321 against himH7122. And the SpiritH7307 of the LORDH3068 came mightilyH6743 upon himH5921. The ropesH5688 onH5921 his armsH2220 becameH1961 like burntH1197H784 flaxH6593, and the bondsH612 broke looseH4549 fromH5921 his handsH3027. 15He foundH4672 the freshH2961 jawboneH3895 of a donkeyH2543, reached outH7971 his handH3027 and took itH3947, and struck downH5221 a thousandH505 menH376. 16Then SamsonH8123 saidH559:

17AndH1961 when Samson had finishedH3615 speakingH1696, he castH7993 the jawboneH3895 from his handH3027; and he namedH7121 thatH1931 placeH4725 Ramath-lehiH7437.4

18And being veryH3966 thirstyH6770, Samson cried outH7121 toH413 the LORDH3068H559, “YouH859 have accomplishedH5414 thisH2063 greatH1419 deliveranceH8668 throughH3027 Your servantH5650. Must I nowH6258 dieH4191 of thirstH6772 and fallH5307 into the handsH3027 of the uncircumcisedH6189?”

19So GodH430 opened upH1234 the hollow placeH4388 in LehiH3895, and waterH4325 came outH3318 of itH4480. When Samson drankH8354, his strengthH7307 returnedH7725, and he was revivedH2421. That is whyH5921H3651 he named itH7121H8034 En-hakkoreH5875,5 and it remainsH834 in LehiH3896 toH5704 thisH2088 dayH3117.

20And Samson judgedH8199 IsraelH3478 for twentyH6242 yearsH8141 in the daysH3117 of the PhilistinesH6430.