Samson at Gaza
1 One day Samson went to the Philistine city of Gaza, where he met a prostitute and went to bed with her. 2 The people of Gaza found out that Samson was there, so they surrounded the place and waited for him all night long at the city gate. They were quiet all night, thinking to themselves, “We'll wait until daybreak, and then we'll kill him.” 3 But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up and took hold of the city gate and pulled it up—doors, posts, lock, and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them far off to the top of the hill overlooking Hebron.
Samson and Delilah
4 After this, Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in Sorek Valley. 5 The five Philistine kings went to her and said, “Trick Samson into telling you why he is so strong and how we can overpower him, tie him up, and make him helpless. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong. If someone wanted to tie you up and make you helpless, how could he do it?”
7 Samson answered, “If they tie me up with seven new bowstrings that are not dried out, I'll be as weak as anybody else.”
8 So the Philistine kings brought Delilah seven new bowstrings that were not dried out, and she tied Samson up. 9 She had some men waiting in another room, so she shouted, “Samson! The Philistines are coming!” But he snapped the bowstrings just as thread breaks when fire touches it. So they still did not know the secret of his strength.
10 Delilah told Samson, “Look, you've been making a fool of me and not telling me the truth. Please tell me how someone could tie you up.”
11 He told her, “If they tie me with new ropes that have never been used, I'll be as weak as anybody else.”
12 So Delilah got some new ropes and tied him up. Then she shouted, “Samson! The Philistines are coming!” The men were waiting in another room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, “You're still making a fool of me and not telling me the truth. Tell me how someone could tie you up.”
He told her, “If you weave my seven locks of hair into a loom, and make it tight with a peg, I'll be as weak as anybody else.”
14 Delilah then lulled him to sleep, took his seven locks of hair, and wove them into the loom. She made it tight with a peg and shouted, “Samson! The Philistines are coming!” But he woke up and pulled his hair loose from the loom.
15 So she said to him, “How can you say you love me, when you don't mean it? You've made a fool of me three times, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong.” 16 She kept on asking him, day after day. He got so sick and tired of her bothering him about it 17 that he finally told her the truth. “My hair has never been cut,” he said. “I have been dedicated to God as a nazirite from the time I was born. If my hair were cut, I would lose my strength and be as weak as anybody else.”
18 When Delilah realized that he had told her the truth, she sent a message to the Philistine kings and said, “Come back one more time. He has told me the truth.” Then they came and brought the money with them. 19 Delilah lulled Samson to sleep in her lap and then called a man, who cut off Samson's seven locks of hair. Then she began to torment him, for he had lost his strength. 20 Then she shouted, “Samson! The Philistines are coming!” He woke up and thought, “I'll get loose and go free, as always.” He did not know that the Lord had left him. 21 The Philistines captured him and put his eyes out. They took him to Gaza, chained him with bronze chains, and put him to work grinding at the mill in the prison. 22 But his hair started growing back.
The Death of Samson
23 The Philistine kings met together to celebrate and offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They sang, “Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!” 24-25 They were enjoying themselves, and so they said, “Call Samson, and let's make him entertain us!” When they brought Samson out of the prison, they made him entertain them and made him stand between the columns. When the people saw him, they sang praise to their god: “Our god has given us victory over our enemy, who devastated our land and killed so many of us!” 26 Samson said to the boy who was leading him by the hand, “Let me touch the columns that hold up the building. I want to lean on them.” 27 The building was crowded with men and women. All five Philistine kings were there, and there were about three thousand men and women on the roof, watching Samson entertain them.
28 Then Samson prayed, “Sovereign Lord, please remember me; please, God, give me my strength just this one time more, so that with this one blow I can get even with the Philistines for putting out my two eyes.” 29 So Samson took hold of the two middle columns holding up the building. Putting one hand on each column, he pushed against them 30 and shouted, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed with all his might, and the building fell down on the five kings and everyone else. Samson killed more people at his death than he had killed during his life.
31 His brothers and the rest of his family came down to get his body. They took him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had been Israel's leader for twenty years.
1 Kādreiz Simsons gāja uz Gazu, un tur viņš ieraudzīja kādu netiklu sievieti, un viņš pie tās iegāja.
2 Tas Gazas iedzīvotājiem tika tūliņ paziņots, sakot: „Simsons ir atnācis šurp.“ Un tie viņu ielenca un viņam uzglūnēja visu nakti pilsētas vārtos, bet viss bija klusu visu nakti, un tie domāja: „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 notikās, ka viņš iemīlēja kādu meiteni Sorekas ielejā, un viņas vārds bija Delīla.
5 Pie viņas atnāca filistiešu labieši 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: „Lūdzu, 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 jaunām telts virvēm, kas vēl nav sakaltušas, tad es kļūtu nespēcīgs un būtu kā katrs cilvēks.“
8 Tad filistiešu labieši viņai atnesa septiņas jaunas telts virves, kas vēl nebija sakaltušas, un viņa ar tām sasēja Simsonu.
9 Bet vīri, kam bija uzdots sagūstīt Simsonu, bija palikusi pie viņas gulamtelpā. Kad nu viņa iesaucās: „Simson, piesargies, filistieši!“ tad viņš sarāva šīs telts virves tā, kā mēdz saraustīt pakulu šķiedras, kas ugunī apsvilušas; tā viņi arī neizdibināja viņa spēku.
10 Tad Delīla sacīja Simsonam: „Redzi, tu esi mani pievīlis, un tu esi man teicis nepatiesību. Bet tagad, lū-dzams, pasaki, ar ko tevi var sasiet?“
11 Tad viņš tai sacīja: „Ja mani saistītu ar jaunām ratu virvēm, ar kurām vēl nekāds darbs nav darīts, tad es rimtos un būtu kā katrs cilvēks.“
12 Tad Delīla ņēma jaunas ratu virves un viņu ar tām sasēja un iesaucās: „Simson, piesargies, filistieši!“ Un vīri arī šoreiz atradās viņas istabā. Bet viņš sarāva ar saviem elkoņiem šis virves kā šujamos diegus.
13 Un Delīla sacīja Simsonam: „Lidz šim tu mani esi piekrāpis un runājis nepatiesību, bet lūdzu, pasaki man nopietni, ar ko tad tevi tiešām var sasiet?“ Un viņš tai sacīja: „Ieaud septiņas manu matu šķipsnas audumā. Un ja tu riestavu vēl ar telts mietiņu cieši nodrošinātu, tad es kiūtu vājš un būtu kā katrs cilvēks.“ Tad viņa ļāva tam iemigt, ieauda septiņas viņa matu cirtas audumā ap riestavu,
14 Nodrošināja to ar telts mietiņu un iesaucās: „Simson, piesargies, filistieši!“ Un viņš uzmodās no sava miega un izrāva ir telts mietiņu ir pašu riestavu.
15 Tad viņa tam sacīja: „Tu gan saki, ka tu mani mīlot, bet tava sirds nav pie manis, trīsreiz tu esi mani pievīlis un neesi man pateicis, kur tavs lielais spēks slēpjas.“
16 Un kad nu viņa diendienā vinu 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 Dievam īpaši novēlēts no pašas dzimšanas; ja manus matus nocirptu, tad mans spēks man tiktu atņemts, un es taptu vājš un kļūtu kā katrs cilvēks.“
18 Kad nu Delīla noskārta, ka viņš, tiešām no sirds tai bija atzīmes, tad viņa lika ataicināt filistiešu varenos, sacīdama: „Nāciet vēl šo reizi, jo viņš man ir izkratījis visu savu sirdi.“ Tad filistiešu labieši nāca augšā pie viņaš, un tie nesa naudu savās rokās.
19 Viņa iemidzināja Simsonu savā klēpi 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 nu viņa sauceī „Filistieši, piesargies, Simson!“ tad viņš pamodās no sava miega un domāja: „Gan es ari 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 vata 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 dižciltīgie sapulcējās uz lieliem kaujamā upura svētkiem savam dievam Dagobam par godu un ari lai līksmotos, jo 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 tic 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 dižciltīgie patreiz atradās uz jumta, un ap trīs tūkstoši 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 jel vēl šo reizi, —ak Dievs, ka es varu atriebties kaut vai tikai par vienu no manām abām acīm šiem filistiešiem!“
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 viņs sasvērās ar spēku, tad nams gāzās pār dižciltīgajiem 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 ģints, tie viņu pacēla, aiznesa un apraka starp Coru un Eštaolu viņa tēva Manuas kapā. Un viņš bija tiesātis Israēlu divdesmit gadus.
