Delilah

4Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. She lived in the valley of Sorek.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

NoteA valley is low ground between hills. Sorek was near where Samson grew up.

5The Philistine leaders came to her and said, "Find out what makes him so strong. Learn how we can tie him up and beat him. Each of us will pay you eleven hundred pieces of silver."

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

NoteThe Philistines had five leaders, one for each of their big cities. Eleven hundred pieces of silver was a huge pile of money. One person could live on it for many years.

6So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me why you are so strong. What could tie you up so someone could hurt you?"

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

7Samson said, "Tie me with seven fresh bowstrings that are still damp. Then I will be as weak as anyone else."

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

NoteA bowstring is the tight string on a bow that shoots arrows. Back then they were made from animal parts. A fresh one was still damp and very strong.

8The Philistine leaders brought her seven fresh bowstrings that were still damp. She tied Samson up with them.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9Men were hiding in her room, waiting. She called out, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" He snapped the bowstrings like string burned by fire. So no one learned his secret.

Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

10Delilah said to Samson, "You made fun of me. You told me lies. Now please tell me what could tie you up."

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11He said, "Tie me with new ropes that have never been used. Then I will be as weak as anyone else."

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

12So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up. Men were hiding in the room again. She called out, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" He snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.

Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

13Delilah said, "You keep making fun of me and telling me lies. Tell me what could tie you up." He said, "Weave the seven braids of my hair into the cloth on a loom."

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

NoteA loom is a wooden frame used for making cloth. Threads are stretched across it and woven together. Delilah wove his hair right into the cloth.

14So she wove his hair in and fastened it tight with a pin. Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" He woke up and pulled the pin, the loom, and the cloth right out.

And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

NoteThe pin was a wooden peg that held the cloth tight on the loom.

15She said, "How can you say you love me when your heart is not with me? You have made fun of me three times. You still have not told me why you are so strong."

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16Day after day she kept asking and begging him. She wore him down until he was sick and tired of it.

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17So he told her everything. He said, "My hair has never been cut. I have belonged to God in a special way since I was born. If my hair is cut off, my strength will leave. I will be as weak as anyone else."

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

NoteSamson was a Nazirite. That meant he made a promise to God to live in a special way. One rule was that he could never cut his hair.

18Delilah saw that he had told her the truth. She sent word to the Philistine leaders, "Come once more. He has told me everything." So they came, bringing the money with them.

And 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 hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19She let him fall asleep on her lap. Then she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. Samson grew weak, and his strength left him.

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20She called out, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" He woke up and thought, "I will get free like I always do." But he did not know the LORD had left him.

And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21The Philistines grabbed him and put out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza and chained him with bronze chains. There he had to grind grain in the prison.

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

NoteTo grind grain, you push a heavy stone around and around. It crushes the grain into flour. It was hard work, usually given to animals or to slaves.

22But the hair on his head slowly started to grow back.

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.