Judges 16:4-18

4After ⌞leaving Gaza⌟, he fell in love with a woman in the Sorek Valley. Her name was Delilah.

5The Philistine rulers came to her and said, “Trick him, and find out what makes him so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. We want to tie him up in order to torture him. Each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong. How can you be tied up so that someone could torture you?”

7Samson told her, “If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that are not dried out, I will be like any other man.”

8The Philistine rulers brought her seven new bowstrings that were not dried out. She tied Samson up with them.

9Some men were hiding in the bedroom waiting for her ⌞to tie him up⌟. Then she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Samson snapped the bowstrings as a thread snaps when it touches fire. So no one found out why he was so strong.

10Delilah told Samson, “Look, you’re making fun of me by telling me lies. Now, tell me how you can be tied up.”

11Samson told her, “If someone ties me up tightly with new ropes that have never been used, I will be like any other man.”

12So Delilah took some new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” Some men were in her bedroom waiting to ambush him. But Samson tore the ropes off his arms as though they were strings.

13Delilah told Samson, “You’re still making fun of me by telling me lies. Tell me how you can be tied up.” Samson replied, “Just weave the seven braids of my hair with the other threads in the loom.”

14So Delilah tied his braids to the loom shuttle. Then she said to him, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!” But Samson woke up and tore his braids and the threads out of the loom shuttle.

15Delilah said to Samson, “How can you say that you love me when your heart isn’t mine? You’ve made fun of me three times now, but you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong.”

16Every day she made his life miserable with her questions. She pestered him until he wished he were dead.

17Finally, he told her the truth. He told her, “Because I’m a Nazirite, no one has ever cut the hair on my head. I was dedicated to God before I was born. If my hair is ever shaved off, my strength will leave me. Then I’ll be like any other man.”

18When Delilah realized that he had told her everything, she sent a message to the Philistine rulers, “Come here once more.” (She did this because Samson had told her everything.) So the Philistine rulers arrived with the money in their hands.