Judges Chapter 16
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its towns, and in Aroer and its towns, and in all the cities that are along by the side of the Arnon, three hundred years; wherefore did ye not recover them within that time?
2
I therefore have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
3
Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
4
Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
5
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
6
then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be Jehovah’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.
7
So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah delivered them into his hand.
8
And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto Abel-cheramim, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
9
And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house; and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
10
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back.
11
And she said unto him, My father, thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah; do unto me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as Jehovah hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even on the children of Ammon.
12
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may depart and go down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my companions.
13
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
14
And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew not man. And it was a custom in Israel,
15
that the daughters of Israel went yearly to celebrate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
16
And the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thy house upon thee with fire.
17
And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand.
18
And when I saw that ye saved me not, I put my life in my hand, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and Jehovah delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
19
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye are fugitives of Ephraim, ye Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim,
20
and in the midst of Manasseh.
21
And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And it was so, that, when
22
any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, Let me go over, the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
23
then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right: then they laid hold on him, and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time of Ephraim forty and two thousand.
24
And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in
25
one of the cities of Gilead.
26
And after him Ibzan of Beth-lehem judged Israel.
27
And he had thirty sons; and thirty daughters he sent abroad, and thirty daughters he brought in from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
28
And Ibzan died, and was buried at Beth-lehem.
29
And after him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
30
And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
31
And after him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel.
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And Samson went to Gazah, and saw there a harlot, and went in to her.
2
[And it was told] the Gazathites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they surrounded [him], and laid wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning light we will kill him.
3
And Samson lay till midnight; and he arose at midnight, and seized the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and tore them up with the bar, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
4
And it came to pass afterwards that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5
And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Persuade him, and see in what his great strength is, and with what we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to overpower him; and we will each give thee eleven hundred silver-pieces.
6
Then Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, in what is thy great strength, and with what thou mightest be bound to overpower thee.
7
And Samson said to her, If they should bind me with seven fresh cords which have not been dried, then should I be weak, and be as another man.
8
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9
Now she had liers in wait abiding in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he broke the cords, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire; and his strength was not known.
10
And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Now tell me, I pray thee, with what thou mightest be bound.
11
And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes, with which no work has been done, then should I be weak, and be as another man.
12
And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! Now there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.
13
And Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what thou mightest be bound. And he said to her, If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web.
14
And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and tore out the pin of the beam, and the web.
15
Then she said to him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou mocked me, and hast not told me in what is thy great strength.
16
And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death;
17
and he told her all his heart, and said to her, There has not come a razor upon my head; for I am a Nazarite ofGod from my mother's womb; if I should be shaven, then my strength would go from me, and I should be weak, and be like all mankind.
18
And Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, and she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has told me all his heart. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.
19
And she made him sleep upon her knees, and called a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to overpower him, and his strength went from him.
20
And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and disengage myself. And he knew not that Jehovah had departed from him.
21
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazah, and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he had to grind in the prison-house.
22
But the hair of his head began to grow after he was shaved.
23
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon theirgod, and to rejoice; for they said, Ourgod has given Samson our enemy into our hands.
24
And when the people saw him, they praised theirgod; for they said, Ourgod has given into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, even him who multiplied our slain.
25
And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house, and he played before them; and they set him between the pillars.
26
And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand, Let loose of me, and suffer me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands, that I may lean upon them.
27
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and upon the roof there were about three thousand men and women, who looked on while Samson made sport.
28
And Samson called to Jehovah, and said, Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, OGod, that I may take one vengeance upon the Philistines for my two eyes.
29
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood (and he supported himself upon them), the one with his right hand and the other with his left.
30
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself with might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life.
31
And his brethren came down, and all the house of his father, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zoreah and Eshtaol in the sepulchre of Manoah his father. And he had judged Israel twenty years.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
And Sampson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in to her.
2
And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, Sampson is come hither: and they compassed him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and they were quiet all the night, saying, Let us wait till the dawn appear, and we will slay him.
3
And Sampson slept till midnight, and rose up at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city with the two posts, and lifted them up with the bar, and laid them on his shoulders, and he went up to the top of the mountain that is before Chebron, and laid them there.
4
And it came to pass after this that he loved a woman in Alsorech, and her name [was] Dalida.
5
And the princes of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Beguile him, and see wherein his great strength [is], and wherewith we shall prevail against him, and bind him to humble him; and we will give thee each eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.
6
And Dalida said to Sampson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein [is] thy great strength, and wherewith thou shalt be bound that thou mayest be humbled.
7
And Sampson said to her, If they bind me with seven moist cords that have not been spoiled, then shall I be weak and be as one of ordinary men.
8
And the princes of the Philistines brought to her seven moist cords that had not been spoiled, and she bound him with them.
9
And the liers in wait remained with her in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he broke the cords as if any one should break a thread of tow when it has touched the fire, and his strength was not known.
10
And Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast cheated me, and told me lies; now then tell me wherewith thou shalt be bound.
11
And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes with which work has not been done, then shall I be weak, and shall be as another man.
12
And Dalida took new ropes, and bound him with them, and the liers in wait came out of the chamber, and she said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he broke them off his arms like a thread.
13
And Dalida said to Sampson, Behold, thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; tell me, I intreat thee, wherewith thou mayest be bound: and he said to her, If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web, and shouldest fasten them with the pin into the wall, then shall I be weak as another man.
14
And it came to pass when he was asleep, that Dalida took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the web, and fastened them with the pin into the wall, and she said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he awoke out of his sleep, and carried away the pin of the web out of the wall.
15
And Dalida said to Sampson, How sayest thou, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? this third time thou hast deceived me, and hast not told me wherein [is] thy great strength.
16
And it came to pass as she pressed him sore with her words continually, and straitened him, that his spirit failed almost to death.
17
Then he told her all his heart, and said to her, A razor has not come upon my head, because I have been a holy [one] of God from my mother's womb; if then I should be shaven, my strength will depart from me, and I shall be weak, and I shall be as all [other] men.
18
And Dalida saw that he told her all his heart, and she sent and called the princes of the Philistines, saying, Come up yet this once; for he has told me all his heart. And the chiefs of the Philistines went up to her, and brought the money in their hands.
19
And Dalida made Sampson sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and he shaved the seven locks of his head, and she began to humble him, and his strength departed from him.
20
And Dalida said, The Philistines [are] upon thee, Sampson: and he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at former times, and shake myself; and he knew not that the Lord was departed from him.
21
And the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground in the prison-house.
22
And the hair of his head began to grow as before it was shaven.
23
And the chiefs of the Philistines met to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon, and to make merry; and they said, God has given into our hand our enemy Sampson.
24
And the people saw him, and sang praises to their god; for our god, [said they], has delivered into our hand our enemy, who wasted our land, and who multiplied our slain.
25
And when their heart was merry, then they said, Call Sampson out of the prison-house, and let him play before us: and they called Sampson out of the prison-house, and he played before them; and they smote him with the palms of their hands, and set him between the pillars.
26
And Sampson said to the young man that held his hand, Suffer me to feel the pillars on which the house [rests], and I will stay myself upon them.
27
And the house [was] full of men and women, and there [were] all the chiefs of the Philistines, and on the roof [were] about three thousand men and women looking at the sports of Sampson.
28
And Sampson wept before the Lord, and said, O Lord, my Lord, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, O God, yet this once, and I will requite one recompense to the Philistines for my two eyes.
29
And Sampson took hold of the two pillars of the house on which the house stood, and leaned on them, and laid hold of one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
30
And Sampson said, Let my life perish with the Philistines: and he bowed himself mightily; and the house fell upon the princes, and upon all the people that were in it: and the dead whom Sampson slew in his death were more than those whom he slew in his life.
31
And his brethren and his father's house went down, and they took him; and they went up and buried him between Saraa and Esthaol in the sepulchre of his father Manoë; and he judged Israel twenty years.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
1
Abiit quoque in Gazam, et vidit ibi mulierem meretricem, ingressusque est ad eam.
2
Quod cum audissent Philisthiim, et percrebruisset apud eos, intrasse urbem Samson, circumdederunt eum, positis in porta civitatis custodibus: et ibi tota nocte cum silentio præstolantes, ut facto mane exeuntem occiderent.
3
Dormivit autem Samson usque ad medium noctem: et inde consurgens apprehendit ambas portæ fores cum postibus suis, et sera, impositasque humeris suis portavit ad verticem montis, qui respicit Hebron.
4
Post hæc amavit mulierem, quæ habitabat in Valle Sorec, et vocabatur Dalila.
5
Veneruntque ad eam principes Philisthinorum, atque dixerunt: Decipe eum, et disce ab illo, in quo habeat tantam fortitudinem, et quo modo eum superare valeamus, et vinctum affligere. quod si feceris, dabimus tibi singuli mille et centum argenteos.
6
Locuta est ergo Dalila ad Samson: Dic mihi, obsecro, in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo, et quid sit quo ligatus erumpere nequeas?
7
Cui respondit Samson: Si septem nerviceis funibus necdum siccis, et adhuc humentibus ligatus fuero, infirmus ero ut ceteri homines.
8
Attuleruntque ad eam satrapæ Philisthinorum septem funes, ut dixerat: quibus vinxit eam,
9
latentibus apud se insidiis, et in cubiculo finem rei expectantibus, clamavitque ad eum: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui rupit vincula, quo modo si rumpat quis filum de stuppæ tortum putamine, cum odorem ignis acceperit: et non est cognitum in quo esset fortitudo eius.
10
Dixitque ad eum Dalila: Ecce illusisti mihi, et falsum locutus es: saltem nunc indica mihi quo ligari debeas.
11
Cui ille respondit: Si ligatus fuero novis funibus, qui numquam fuerunt in opere, infirmus ero, et aliorum hominum similis.
12
Quibus rursum Dalila vinxit eum, et clamavit: Philisthiim super te Samson, in cubiculo insidiis præparatis. Qui ita rupit vincula quasi fila telarum.
13
Dixitque Dalila rursum ad eum: Usquequo decipis me, et falsum loqueris? ostende quo vinciri debeas. Cui respondit Samson: Si septem crines capitis mei cum licio plexueris, et clavum his circumligatum terræ fixeris, infirmus ero.
14
Quod cum fecisset Dalila, dixit ad eum: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio.
15
Dixitque ad eum Dalila: Quo modo dicis quod amas me, cum animus tuus non sit mecum? Per tres vices mentitus es mihi, et noluisti dicere in quo sit maxima fortitudo tua.
16
Cumque molesta esset ei, et per multos dies iugiter adhæreret, spatium ad quietem non tribuens, defecit anima eius, et ad mortem usque lassata est.
17
Tunc aperiens veritatem rei, dixit ad eam: Ferrum numquam ascendit super caput meum, quia nazaræus, id est, consecratus Deo sum de utero matris meæ: si rasum fuerit caput meum, recedet a me fortitudo mea, et deficiam, eroque sicut ceteri homines.
18
Vidensque illa quod confessus ei esset omnem animum suum, misit ad principes Philisthinorum ac mandavit: Ascende adhuc semel, quia nunc mihi aperuit cor suum. Qui ascenderunt assumpta pecunia, quam promiserant.
19
At illa dormire eum fecit super genua sua, et in sinu suo reclinare caput. Vocavitque tonsorem, et rasit septem crines eius, et cœpit abigere eum, et a se repellere: statim enim ab eo fortitudo discessit:
20
dixitque: Philisthiim super te Samson. Qui de somno consurgens, dixit in animo suo: Egrediar sicut ante feci, et me excutiam, nesciens quod recessisset ab eo Dominus.
21
Quem cum apprehendissent Philisthiim, statim eruerunt oculos eius, et duxerunt Gazam vinctum catenis, et clausum in carcere molere fecerunt.
22
Iamque capilli eius renasci cœperunt,
23
et principes Philisthinorum convenerunt in unum ut immolarent hostias magnificas Dagon deo suo, et epularentur, dicentes: Tradidit Deus noster inimicum nostrum Samson in manus nostras.
24
Quod etiam populus videns, laudabat deum suum, eademque dicebat: Tradidit Deus noster adversarium nostrum in manus nostras, qui delevit terram nostram, et occidit plurimos.
25
Lætantesque per convivia, sumptis iam epulis, præceperunt ut vocaretur Samson, et ante eos luderet. Qui adductus de carcere ludebat ante eos, feceruntque eum stare inter duas columnas.
26
Qui dixit puero regenti gressus suos: Dimitte me, ut tangam columnas, quibus omnis imminet domus, et recliner super eas, et paululum requiescam.
27
Domus autem erat plena virorum ac mulierum, et erant ibi omnes principes Philisthinorum, ac de tecto et solario circiter tria millia utriusque sexus spectantes ludentem Samson.
28
At ille invocato Domino ait: Domine Deus, memento mei, et redde mihi nunc fortitudinem pristinam Deus meus, ut ulciscar me de hostibus meis, et pro amissione duorum luminum unam ultionem recipiam.
29
Et apprehendens ambas columnas, quibus innitebatur domus, alteramque earum dextera, et alteram læva tenens,
30
ait: Moriatur anima mea cum Philisthiim. concussisque fortiter columnis, cecidit domus super omnes principes, et ceteram multitudinem, quæ ibi erat: multoque plures interfecit moriens, quam ante vivus occiderat.
31
Descendentes autem fratres eius et universa cognatio tulerunt corpus eius, et sepelierunt inter Saraa et Esthaol in sepulchro patris sui Manue: iudicavitque Israel viginti annis.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
2
The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light; then we will kill him.”
3
Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
4
It came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5
The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
6
Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”
7
Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”
8
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9
Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the cords as a flax thread is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.
10
Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies. Now please tell me how you might be bound.”
11
He said to her, “If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then I will become weak, and be as another man.”
12
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
13
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the fabric on the loom.”
14
She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam and the fabric.
15
She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.”
16
When she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, his soul was troubled to death.
17
He told her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me and I will become weak, and be like any other man.”
18
When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand.
19
She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20
She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the LORD had departed from him.
21
The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
22
However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.
23
The lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”
24
When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us, into our hand.”
25
When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;
26
and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean on them.”
27
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Samson performed.
28
Samson called to the LORD, and said, “Lord GOD, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”
29
Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested and leaned on them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.
30
Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.
31
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
And Samson goeth to Gaza, and seeth there a woman, a harlot, and goeth in unto her;
2
<FI> it is told<Fi> to the Gazathites, saying, `Samson hath come in hither;' and they go round and lay wait for him all the night at the gate of the city, and keep themselves silent all the night, saying, `Till the light of the morning--then we have slain him.'
3
And Samson lieth down till the middle of the night, and riseth in the middle of the night, and layeth hold on the doors of the gate of the city, and on the two side posts, and removeth them with the bar, and putteth on his shoulders, and taketh them up unto the top of the hill, which <FI>is<Fi> on the front of Hebron.
4
And it cometh to pass afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name <FI>is<Fi> Delilah,
5
and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, `Entice him, and see wherein his great power <FI>is<Fi> , and wherein we are able for him--and we have bound him to afflict him, and we--we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.'
6
And Delilah saith unto Samson, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power <FI>is<Fi> , and wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.'
7
And Samson saith unto her, `If they bind me with seven green withs which have not been dried, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
8
And the princes of the Philistines bring up to her seven green withs which have not been dried, and she bindeth him with them.
9
And the ambush is abiding with her in an inner chamber, and she saith unto him, `Philistines <FI>are<Fi> upon thee, Samson;' and he breaketh the withs as a thread of tow is broken in its smelling fire, and his power hath not been known.
10
And Delilah saith unto Samson, `Lo, thou hast played upon me, and speakest unto me lies; now, declare, I pray thee, to me, wherewith thou art bound.'
11
And he saith unto her, `If they certainly bind me with thick bands, new ones, by which work hath not been done, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
12
And Delilah taketh thick bands, new ones, and bindeth him with them, and saith unto him, `Philistines <FI>are<Fi> upon thee, Samson;' and the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he breaketh them from off his arms as a thread.
13
And Delilah saith unto Samson, `Hitherto thou hast played upon me, and dost speak unto me lies; declare to me wherewith thou art bound.' And he saith unto her, `If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.'
14
And she fixeth <FI>it<Fi> with the pin, and saith unto him, `Philistines <FI>are<Fi> upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and journeyeth with the pin of the weaving machine, and with the web.
15
And she saith unto him, `How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy great power <FI>is<Fi> .'
16
And it cometh to pass, because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and his soul is grieved to death,
17
that he declareth to her all his heart, and saith to her, `A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a Nazarite to God I <FI>am<Fi> from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any of the human race.'
18
And Delilah seeth that he hath declared to her all his heart, and she sendeth and calleth for the princes of the Philistines, saying, `Come up this time, for he hath declared to me all his heart;' and the princes of the Philistines have come up unto her, and bring up the money in their hand.
19
and she maketh him sleep on her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off him;
20
and she saith, `Philistines <FI>are<Fi> upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, `I go out as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath turned aside from off him.
21
And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.
22
And the hair of his head beginneth to shoot up, when he hath been shaven,
23
and the princes of the Philistines have been gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they say, `Our god hath given into our hand Samson our enemy.'
24
And the people see him, and praise their god, for they said, `Our god hath given in our hand our enemy, and he who is laying waste our land, and who multiplied our wounded.'
25
And it cometh to pass, when their heart <FI>is<Fi> glad, that they say, `Call for Samson, and he doth play before us;' and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he playeth before them, and they cause him to stand between the pillars.
26
And Samson saith unto the young man who is keeping hold on his hand, `Let me alone, and let me feel the pillars on which the house is established, and I lean upon them.'
27
And the house hath been full of men and of women, and thither <FI>are<Fi> all the princes of the Philistines, and on the roof <FI>are<Fi> about three thousand men and women, who are looking on the playing of Samson.
28
And Samson calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this time, O God; and I am avenged--vengeance at once--because of my two eyes, on the Philistines.'
29
And Samson turneth aside <FI>to<Fi> the two middle pillars, on which the house is established, and on which it is supported, <FI>to<Fi> the one with his right hand, and one with his left;
30
and Samson saith, `Let me die with the Philistines,' and he inclineth himself powerfully, and the house falleth on the princes, and on all the people who <FI>are<Fi> in it, and the dead whom he hath put to death in his death are more than those whom he put to death in his life.
31
And his brethren come down, and all the house of his father, and lift him up, and bring him up, and bury him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father; and he hath judged Israel twenty years.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).