Samson Carries Off the Gates of Gaza
1 One day while Samson was in Gaza, he saw a prostitute and went to her house to spend the night. 2 The people who lived in Gaza found out he was there, and they decided to kill him at sunrise. So they went to the city gate and waited all night in the guardrooms on each side of the gate.
3 But Samson got up in the middle of the night and went to the town gate. He pulled the gate doors and doorposts out of the wall and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them all the way to the top of the hill that overlooks Hebron, where he set the doors down, still closed and locked.
Delilah Tricks Samson
4 Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley. 5 The Philistine rulers went to Delilah and said, “Trick Samson into telling you what makes him so strong and what can make him weak. Then we can tie him up so he can't get away. If you find out his secret, we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
6 The next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, “Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me.”
7 Samson answered, “If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that have never been dried, it will make me just as weak as anyone else.”
8-9 The Philistine rulers gave seven new bowstrings to Delilah. They also told some of their soldiers to go to Delilah's house and hide in the room where Samson and Delilah were. If the bowstrings made Samson weak, they would be able to capture him.
Delilah tied up Samson with the bowstrings and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!”
Samson snapped the bowstrings, as though they were pieces of scorched string. The Philistines had not found out why Samson was so strong.
10 “You lied and made me look like a fool,” Delilah said. “Now tell me. How can I really tie you up?”
11 Samson answered, “Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else.”
12 Delilah got new ropes, and again some Philistines hid in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!”
Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads.
13 “You're still lying and making a fool of me,” Delilah said. “Tell me how I can tie you up!”
“My hair is in seven braids,” Samson replied. “If you weave my braids into the threads on a loom and nail the loom to a wall, then I will be as weak as anyone else.”
14 While Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his braids into the threads on a loom and nailed the loom to a wall. Then she shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!”
Samson woke up and pulled the loom free from its posts in the ground and from the nails in the wall. Then he pulled his hair free from the woven cloth.
15 “Samson,” Delilah said, “you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong.” 16 Delilah started nagging and pestering him day after day, until he couldn't stand it any longer.
17 Finally, Samson told her the truth. “I have belonged to God ever since I was born, so my hair has never been cut. If it were ever cut off, my strength would leave me, and I would be as weak as anyone else.”
18 Delilah realized that he was telling the truth. So she sent someone to tell the Philistine rulers, “Come to my house one more time. Samson has finally told me the truth.”
The Philistine rulers went to Delilah's house, and they brought along the silver they had promised her. 19 Delilah had lulled Samson to sleep with his head resting in her lap. She signaled to one of the Philistine men as she began cutting off Samson's seven braids. And by the time she was finished, Samson's strength was gone. Delilah tied him up 20 and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are attacking!”
Samson woke up and thought, “I'll break loose and escape, just as I always do.” He did not realize that the Lord had stopped helping him.
21 The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain. 22 But they didn't cut his hair any more, so it started growing back.
23 The Philistine rulers threw a big party and sacrificed a lot of animals to their god Dagon. The rulers said:
Samson was our enemy,
but our god Dagon
helped us capture him!
24-25 Everyone there was having a good time, and they shouted, “Bring out Samson—he's still good for a few more laughs!”
The rulers had Samson brought from the prison, and when the people saw him, this is how they praised their god:
Samson ruined our crops
and killed our people.
He was our enemy,
but our god helped us
capture him.
They made fun of Samson for a while, then they told him to stand near the columns that supported the roof. 26 A young man was leading Samson by the hand, and Samson said to him, “I need to lean against something. Take me over to the columns that hold up the roof.”
27 The Philistine rulers were celebrating in a temple packed with people and with 3,000 more on the flat roof. They had all been watching Samson and making fun of him.
28 Samson prayed, “Please remember me, Lord God. The Philistines poked out my eyes, but make me strong one last time, so I can take revenge for at least one of my eyes!”
29 Samson was standing between the two middle columns that held up the roof. He felt around and found one column with his right hand, and the other with his left hand. 30 Then he shouted, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed against the columns as hard as he could, and the temple collapsed with the Philistine rulers and everyone else still inside. Samson killed more Philistines when he died than he had killed during his entire life.
31 His brothers and the rest of his family went to Gaza and took his body back home. They buried him in his father's tomb, which was located between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Samson was a leader of Israel for 20 years.
1 Reiz Simsons gāja uz Gazu, un tur viņš ieraudzīja kādu netiklu sievu, un viņš pie tās iegāja. 2 Un Gazas iedzīvotājiem tika tūliņ sacīts: "Simsons ir atnācis šurp." Un tie viņu ielenca un viņam uzglūnēja visu nakti pilsētas vārtos, tie bija klusu visu nakti, un viņi sacīja: "Gan jau, kad rīta gaisma ausīs, tad mēs viņu nositīsim." 3 Bet Simsons gulēja tikai līdz pusnaktij; ap pusnakti viņš piecēlās un satvēra abas pilsētas vārtu veramās puses un abus stabus. Tos viņš izcēla ar visu aizšaujamo bultu, uzcēla uz saviem kamiešiem un uznesa tā kalna virsotnē, kas atrodas pretī Hebronai. 4 Un pēc tam notika, ka viņš iemīlēja kādu sievu Sorekas ielejā, un viņas vārds bija Delīla. 5 Pie viņas atnāca filistiešu lielkungi un sacīja viņai: "Pierunā tu viņu, lai viņš parāda, kur viņam slēpjas viņa lielais spēks un kā mēs viņu varētu pieveikt un saistīt, lai viņu pārvarētu, tad mēs ikviens tev dosim tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabalus." 6 Tad Delīla sacīja Simsonam: "Pasaki man, kā tas ir izskaidrojams, ka tavs spēks ir tik liels, un ar ko varētu tevi saistīt un savaldīt?" 7 Un Simsons viņai sacīja: "Ja mani sasietu ar septiņām svaigām cīpslām, kas vēl nav izkaltušas, tad es kļūtu nespēcīgs un būtu kā ikkatrs cilvēks." 8 Tad filistiešu lielkungi viņai atnesa septiņas svaigas cīpslas, kas vēl nebija izkaltušas, un viņa ar tām sasēja Simsonu. 9 Bet vīri, kam bija uzdots sagūstīt Simsonu, bija palikuši pie viņas istabā. Kad viņa iesaucās: "Simson, filistieši!" - tad viņš sarāva šīs cīpslas itin kā pakulu pavedienus, kas ugunī apsviluši; tā viņi arī neizdibināja viņa spēku. 10 Tad Delīla sacīja Simsonam: "Redzi, tu esi mani pievīlis, un tu esi man teicis nepatiesību. Bet tagad, lūdzams, pasaki, ar ko tevi var sasiet?" 11 Tad viņš tai sacīja: "Ja mani saistītu ar jaunām virvēm, ar ko vēl nekas nav darīts, tad es rimtos un būtu kā ikkatrs cilvēks." 12 Tad Delīla ņēma jaunas virves un viņu ar tām sasēja un iesaucās: "Simson, filistieši!" Un vīri arī šoreiz atradās viņas istabā. Bet viņš sarāva ar saviem elkoņiem šīs virves kā diegus. 13 Un Delīla sacīja Simsonam: "Līdz šim tu mani esi piekrāpis un runājis nepatiesību, bet pasaki man - ar ko tad tevi var sasiet?" Un viņš tai sacīja: "Ieaud septiņas manu matu šķipsnas audumā." 14 Viņa piestiprināja tās pie riestavas un iesaucās: "Simson, filistieši!" - Un viņš uzmodās no miega un izrāva gan riestavu, gan audumu. 15 Tad viņa tam sacīja: "Tu gan saki, ka tu mani mīlot, bet tava sirds nav pie manis, trīs reizes tu esi mani pievīlis un neesi man pateicis, kur tavs lielais spēks slēpjas." 16 Un, kad viņa diendienā viņu ar savām runām māca un mocīja, tad viņa dvēselei tas apnika līdz nāvei, 17 un viņš pateica tai visu, kas vien viņam bija uz sirds, un izstāstīja: "Skujamais nazis nekad nav nācis pār manu galvu, jo es esmu nazīrietis, novēlēts Dievam no pašas dzimšanas; ja manus matus nocirptu, tad mans spēks man tiktu atņemts, un es taptu vājš un kļūtu kā ikkatrs cilvēks." 18 Kad nu Delīla noskārta, ka viņš tiešām no sirds tai bija atzinies, tad viņa lika ataicināt filistiešu lielkungus, sacīdama: "Nāciet vēl šo reizi, jo viņš man ir izkratījis visu savu sirdi." Tad filistiešu lielkungi nāca augšā pie viņas, un tie nesa naudu savās rokās. 19 Viņa iemidzināja Simsonu savā klēpī un pasauca kādu vīru, kas nocirpa viņa galvas matu septiņas cirtas, un tā viņa guva varu pār viņu, bet viņa paša spēks to atstāja. 20 Kad viņa sauca: "Filistieši, Simson!" - tad viņš pamodās no sava miega un domāja: gan es arī šoreiz izkļūšu tāpat kā citas reizes un sevi atbrīvošu. Bet viņš nezināja, ka Tas Kungs no viņa bija atstājies. 21 Tad filistieši viņu sagrāba un viņam izdūra acis. Tie noveda viņu lejā uz Gazu un to iekala vara važās, un viņam nācās cietumā griezt dzirnavas. 22 Bet viņa galvas mati sāka atkal ataugt pēc tam, kad tie bija tikuši nodzīti. 23 Tad filistiešu lielkungi sapulcējās, lai upurētu lielu upuri savam dievam Dagonam un lai līksmotos, un tie sacīja: "Mūsu dievs mums ir devis mūsu ienaidnieku Simsonu mūsu rokās." 24 Kad viņi to rādīja tautai, tad ļaudis sumināja savu dievu, jo tie sacīja: "Mūsu dievs ir devis mūsu rokā mūsu ienaidnieku un mūsu zemes pretinieku, cīnītāju, kas daudzus no mums ir nokāvis." 25 Un tanī brīdī, kad viņu sirdis bija līksmas, viņi sacīja: "Pasauciet Simsonu, lai viņš mūs uzjautrina." Tad tie lika atvest Simsonu no cietuma, un viņš tiem bija par uzjautrinājumu, un tie nostatīja viņu stabu starpā. 26 Tad Simsons sacīja tam puisim, kas viņu stingri turēja satvertu pie rokas un vadāja: "Palaid mani vaļā, jo es gribu aptaustīt šos stabus, uz kuriem šis nams ir celts, un pret tiem atspiesties!" 27 Bet nams bija vīru un sievu pilns, un filistiešu lielkungi pašreiz atradās uz jumta, un ap trīstūkstoš vīru kopā ar sievām bija skatītājos, lai nolūkotos Simsonā. 28 Tad Simsons piesauca To Kungu un sacīja: "Tu, ak, Kungs, mans Dievs! Lūdzu, piemini mani un dari mani stipru kaut vēl šo reizi, ak, Dievs, ka es varu atriebties šiem filistiešiem kaut vai tikai par vienu no manām abām acīm!" 29 Un Simsons aptvēra abus vidējos stabus, uz kuriem nams balstījās, un viņš pret tiem atspiedās - pret vienu ar labo roku, pret otru ar kreiso roku. 30 Un Simsons sacīja: "Lai tad arī mirst mana dvēsele kopā ar filistiešiem." Un viņš atspiedās ar spēku, tad nams gāzās pār lielkungiem un pār visu tautu, kas tanī atradās, tā ka mirušo skaits, ko viņš mirdams nonāvēja, bija lielāks par to, ko viņš, dzīvs būdams, bija nogalinājis. 31 Tad ieradās viņa brāļi un visa viņa tēva nams, tie viņu pacēla, aiznesa un apglabāja starp Coru un Eštaolu viņa tēva Manuas kapā. Un viņš bija tiesājis Israēlu divdesmit gadus.
