1   He went also into Gaza, and saw there a woman that was ^note an harlot, and went in vnto her.

2   Which when the Philisthiims had heard, and it was bruted among them, that Samson was entered into the citie, they compassed him, keepers being sette in the gate of the citie: and there al the night wayting with silence, that in the morning they might kil him going out.

3   But Samson slept vntil midnigt, and then arising he ^note tooke both the leaues of the gate, with their postes and locke, and laying them on his shoulders, caried them to the toppe of the mountaine, which looketh toward Hebron.

4   After these thinges he loued a woman, which dwelt in Valley Sorec, and she was called Dalila.

5   And the princes of the Philisthiims came to her, and said: Deceiue him, and learne of him, wherein he hath so great strength, and how we may be able to ouercome him, and being bound to afflict him. which if thou shalt doe, we wil geue thee euerie one a thousand and an hundred peeces of siluer.

6   Dalila therfore spake to Samson: Tel me, I besech thee, wherein thy greatest strength is, and what it is wherewith being bound thou canst not breake forth.

7   To whom Samson answered: If I shal be bound with seuen cordes of sinewes not yet drie, and moyste as yet, I shal be weake as ot hermen.

8   And the princes of the Philisthimes brought

Samson. vnto her seuen cordes, as he had said: with the which she bound him,

9   ambush ementes lying secretely in wayte neere her, and in the chamber expecting the end of the thing, and she cried to him: The Philisthijms vpon thee Samson. Who brake the bandes, as if a man should breake a thread of toe twyned with spittlc, when it hath taken the sauor of fyre: and it was not knowen wherein his strength was.

10   And Dalila said to him: Behold thou hast deluded me, and hast spoken false: now at the least tel me wherwith thou mayest be bound.

11   To whom he answered: If I shal be bound with new cordes, that were neuer occupied, I shal be weake, and like to other men.

12   With the which Dalila againe bound him, and cried: The Philisthijmes vpon thee Samson, ambushementes being prepared in the chamber. Who did so breake the bandes as threades of linnen cloth.

13   And Dalila said to him againe: How long deceiuest thou me, and speakest false? Shew wherewith thou mayest be bound. To whom Samson answered: If thou platte seuen heares of my head with a heare lase, and fasten a nayle tyed round about them in the ground, I shal be weake.

14   Which when Dalila had done, she said to him: The Philisthijms vpon thee Samson. Who rysing vp from sleepe drew out the nayle with the heares and the heare lase.

15   And Dalila said to him: How doest thou say that thou louest me, whereas thy mind is not with me? These three times thou hast lied to me, & wouldest not tel wherein thy greatest strength is.

16   And when she molested him, and continually hong vpon him for many daies, not geuing him space to rest, his soule faynted, and was wearied euen vnto death.

17   Then opening the truth of the thing, he said to her: There neuer came yron vpon my head, because I am a Nazareite, that is to say, consecrated to God from my mothers wombe: if my head shal be shauen, ^note my strength shal depart from me, and I shal fayle, and shal be as other men.

18   And she seing that he had confessed to her al his minde, sent to the princes of the Philisthijms and willed them: Come vp yet once more, for now he hath opened his hart to me. Who went vp taking with them the money which they had promised.

19   But she made him to sleepe vpon her knees, and to lay his head in her bosome. And she called a barber, and shaued his seuen heares, and beganne to driue him away, and thrust him from her: for immediately the streingth departed

Samson. from him:

20   and she said: The Philisthijms vpon thee Samson. Who arysing from sleepe, said in his mind: I wil goe forth as I did before, and wil shake my self, not knowing that our Lord was departed from him.

21   Whom when the Philisthijmes had apprehended, forthwith they plucked forth his eies, and led him to Gaza bound with chaynes, and being shut vp in prison they made him grinde.

22   And now his heares had begone to grow againe,

23   and the princes of the Philisthijms assembled in one, that they might immolate magnifical hostes to Dagon their god, and might feast, saying: Our God hath deliuered our enemie Samson into our handes.

24   Which thing the people also seing, praysed their god, and said the same thinges: Our God hath deliuered our aduersarie into our handes, who destroyed our countrie, and killed verie manie.

25   And reioysing through out their bankettes, when they had now taken their good cheere, they commanded that Samson should be called, and should play before them. Who being brought out of prison played before them, and they made him to stand betwen two pillers.

26   Who said to the seruant that gouerned his steppes: Suffer me to touch the pillers, on which al the house stayeth, and let me leane vpon them, and rest a litle.

27   And the house was ful of men and wemen, and there were al the princes of the Philisthijms, also from the roofe and higher part, about three thousand of both sexe beholding Samson playing.

28   But he inuocating our Lord, said: Lord God remember me, & restore now to me myne old strength my God, that I may ^note reuenge me of myne enemies, and for the losse of two eies may receiue one reuenge.

29   And taking both the pillers, on which the house rested, and holding the one in his right hand, and the other in his left,

30   he said:09Q0183 Let me die with the Philisthijms. And the pillers being strongly shaken, the house fel vpon al the princes, and the rest of the multitude, that was there: and he killed manie moe dying, then before he had killed liuing.

31   And his brethren going downe and al his kindred, they tooke his bodie, and buried it betwixt Saraa and Esthaol in the sepulchre of his father Manue, and he iudged Israel twentie yeares.

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