Judges 16:1-20

1Now Samson went to 1Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. 2When it was told to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here,” they 2surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him.” 3Now Samson lay until midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron.

4After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5The 3lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “4Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and 5how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” 6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength is and 6how you may be bound to afflict you.” 7Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.” 8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it 7touches fire. So his strength was not discovered.

10Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me 8how you may be bound.” 11He said to her, “If they bind me tightly with new ropes 9which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man.” 12So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped 10the ropes from his arms like a thread.

13Then Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies; tell me 11how you may be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my 12hair with the web 13[and fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man.” 14So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his 14hair and wove them into the web]. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.

15Then she said to him, “15How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is.” 16It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was 16annoyed to death. 17So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a 17Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.”

18When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all that is in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19She made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his 18hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him. 20She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that 19the Lord had departed from him.