Simsons un Delīla
1 Simsons devās uz Gazu. Tur viņš ieraudzīja kādu mauku un iegāja pie tās. 2 Gazieši runāja: “Simsons ir atnācis šurp.” Viņi sanāca apkārt un novietojās slēpnī, lai visu nakti gaidītu viņu pilsētas vārtos. Visu nakti viņi klusu gaidīja, domādami: “Kad ausīs gaisma, mēs viņu nogalēsim.” 3 Bet Simsons gulēja līdz pusnaktij, cēlās pusnaktī, satvēra pilsētas vārtus un abus vārtu stabus, izcēla tos ar visu aizšaujamo bultu, uzvēla sev plecos un uznesa tā kalna galā, kas pret Hebronu.
4 Pēc tam viņš iemīlēja kādu sievieti Sorekas ielejā, vārdā Delīla. 5 Pie viņas atnāca filistiešu augstmaņi un sacīja: “Piedabū viņu, izdibini, kur slēpjas viņa lielais spēks un kā mēs varētu viņu pārspēt un saistīt, lai pakļautu! Mēs katrs tev dosim tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabalus.” 6 Tad Delīla teica Simsonam: “Pastāsti jel man, kur slēpjas tavs lielais spēks un kā tevi varētu saistīt, lai pakļautu.” 7 Un Simsons viņai sacīja: “Ja mani sasietu ar septiņām svaigām neizkaltētām loka stiegrām, es kļūtu vājš un būtu kā citi cilvēki.” 8 Tad filistiešu augstmaņi atnesa viņai septiņas svaigas neizkaltētas loka stiegras, un viņa ar tām viņu sasēja. 9 Un daži paslēpušies gaidīja viņas guļamistabā. Viņa tam uzsauca: “Filistieši nāk, Simson!” Viņš sarāva stiegras kā pakulu auklas, ko skārusi uguns, un viņa spēks netika izzināts. 10 Tad Delīla teica Simsonam: “Re, kā tu mani esi pievīlis, sarunājis man melus! Bet nu gan pastāsti man, ar ko tevi var sasiet.” 11 Un viņš tai teica: “Ja mani sietin sasietu ar jaunām virvēm, ar kurām vēl nekas nav darīts, es kļūtu vājš un būtu kā citi cilvēki.” 12 Tad Delīla paņēma jaunas virves, sasēja viņu ar tām un uzsauca viņam: “Filistieši nāk, Simson!” Un daži paslēpušies gaidīja guļamistabā. Bet viņš tās norāva no rokām kā diegus. 13 Un Delīla teica Simsonam: “Tu mani visu laiku izsmej un runā melus! Pastāsti man, kā tevi var sasiet!” Un viņš teica: “Ja tu ieaudīsi septiņas manu matu šķipsnas audeklā.” 14 Delīla viņu iemidzināja, ieauda septiņas viņa matu šķipsnas audeklā , nostiprināja ar mietiņu un uzsauca: “Filistieši nāk, Simson!” Viņš pamodās no miega, izrāva mietiņu, stelles un audeklu. 15 Un viņa tam teica: “Kā gan tu vari teikt: es tevi mīlu, ja tava sirds nav ar mani. Jau trešo reizi tu esi mani izsmējis un neesi pastāstījis, kur slēpjas tavs lielais spēks!” 16 Kad nu viņa diendienā tam uzmācās ar savām runām un neatlaidās, viņš bija nomocīts līdz nāvei. 17 Un viņš tai izstāstīja visu, kas tam bija uz sirds. Viņš teica: “Skujamais nazis nav nācis pār manu galvu, jo es esmu Dieva nazīrietis no mātes miesām. Ja man nodzītu matus, mans spēks atstātu mani un es kļūtu vājš un būtu kā visi citi.” 18 Delīla redzēja, ka viņš tai atklājis savu sirdi, viņa sūtīja pie filistiešu augstmaņiem un aicināja tos, sacīdama: “Nāciet nu šoreiz, jo viņš man ir atklājis savu sirdi!” Tad filistiešu augstmaņi devās pie viņas, ņemot līdzi sudrabu. 19 Viņa to iemidzināja savā klēpī un, pasaukusi kādu vīru, izcirpa Simsonam septiņas matu šķipsnas. Tā viņa sāka viņu pakļaut, un viņa spēks viņu atstāja. 20 Viņa uzsauca: “Filistieši nāk, Simson!” Viņš pamodās no miega un nodomāja: “Es tikšu sveikā kā vienmēr un izraušos.” Bet viņš nezināja, ka Kungs viņu atstājis. 21 Filistieši viņu sagrāba un izdūra tam acis. Viņi to aizveda uz Gazu, iekala važās un lika tam cietumā malt. 22 Bet viņa nocirptie mati sāka ataugt.
Simsona nāve
23 Filistiešu augstmaņi sapulcējās pienest lielu upuri savam dievam Dāgonam un līksmoties. Viņi teica:
“Mūsu dievs mums nodevis
mūsu ienaidnieku Simsonu!”
24 Kad ļaudis viņu redzēja, tie slavēja savu dievu, jo viņi sacīja:
“Mūsu dievs mums nodevis
mūsu ienaidnieku,
mūsu zemes postītāju,
kas tik daudzus nonāvējis!”
25 Kad nu viņiem metās līksmi ap sirdi, tie sacīja: “Pasauciet Simsonu, lai viņš mums uzstājas!” Tie atsauca Simsonu no cietuma, lai viņš tos uzjautrina. Tie viņu nostādīja starp stabiem. 26 Un Simsons teica puisim, kas viņu turēja pie rokas: “Palaid mani un ļauj aptaustīt stabus, uz kuriem šis nams turas, es atbalstīšos pret tiem.” 27 Bet nams bija pilns vīru un sievu, tur bija visi filistiešu augstmaņi. Uz jumta vien bija ap trīs tūkstoši vīru un sievu, kas skatījās Simsona uzstāšanos. 28 Un Simsons sauca uz Kungu: “Kungs Dievs, jel piemini mani un stiprini jel mani vēl tikai šoreiz, ak, Dievs, ka es atriebtos filistiešiem kaut par vienu no savām acīm!” 29 Un Simsons aptvēra abus vidējos stabus, uz kuriem nams turējās, un atspiedās pret tiem – pret vienu ar labo, pret otru ar kreiso roku. 30 Un Simsons teica: “Lai tad mirst mana dvēsele kopā ar filistiešiem!” Viņš grūda ar spēku, un nams sagruva pār augstmaņiem un visiem ļaudīm, kas tur bija. To, kurus viņš nonāvēja mirstot, bija daudz vairāk nekā to, kurus viņš nonāvēja dzīvojot. 31 Tad viņa brāļi un viss viņa tēva nams nāca lejā, pacēla viņu, uznesa augšā un apbedīja starp Coru un Eštāolu viņa tēva Mānoha kapā. Viņš bija Israēla soģis divdesmit gadus.
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.
