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APRIL 25
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to Samson, “Do you not know that the was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines
Philistines rule over us? What is this you have came up to her and said to her, “Entice him,
done to us?” and find out where his great strength lies, and
And he said to them, “As they did to me, so by what means we may overpower him, that
I have done to them.” we may bind him to afflict him; and every one
But they said to him, “We have come down of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of
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to arrest you, that we may deliver you into the silver.”
hand of the Philistines.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me
Then Samson said to them, “Swear to me where your great strength lies, and with what
that you will not kill me yourselves.” you may be bound to afflict you.”
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So they spoke to him, saying, “No, but we And Samson said to her, “If they bind me
will tie you securely and deliver you into their with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried,
hand; but we will surely not kill you.” And they then I shall become weak, and be like any
bound him with two new ropes and brought other man.”
him up from the rock. 8 So the lords of the Philistines brought up to
When he came to Lehi, the Philistines her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and
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came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of she bound him with them. Now men were
the LORD came mightily upon him; and the lying in wait, staying with her in the room.
ropes that were on his arms became like flax And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon
that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as
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loose from his hands. He found a fresh jaw- a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire.
bone of a donkey, reached out his hand and So the secret of his strength was not known.
took it, and killed a thousand men with it. 10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you
Then Samson said: have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please
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tell me what you may be bound with.”
“With the jawbone of a donkey, 11 So he said to her, “If they bind me secure-
Heaps upon heaps, ly with new ropes that have never been used,
With the jawbone of a donkey then I shall become weak, and be like any
I have slain a thousand men!”
other man.”
And so it was, when he had finished speak- Therefore Delilah took new ropes and
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ing, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, bound him with them, and said to him, “The
and called that place Ramath Lehi. Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men
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Then he became very thirsty; so he cried were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he
out to the LORD and said, “You have given this broke them off his arms like a thread.
great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; 13 Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you
and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me
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hand of the uncircumcised?” So God split the what you may be bound with.”
hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came And he said to her, “If you weave the seven
out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and locks of my head into the web of the loom”—
he revived. Therefore he called its name En 14 So she wove it tightly with the batten of the
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Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. And he loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are
judged Israel twenty years in the days of the upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his
Philistines. sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web
Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a from the loom.
16 harlot there, and went in to her. When 15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I
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the Gazites were told, “Samson has come love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You
here!” they surrounded the place and lay in have mocked me these three times, and have
wait for him all night at the gate of the city. not told me where your great strength lies.”
They were quiet all night, saying, “In the 16 And it came to pass, when she pestered him
morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” daily with her words and pressed him, so that
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And Samson lay low till midnight; then he his soul was vexed to death, that he told her
arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever
the gate of the city and the two gateposts, come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite
pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his to God from my mother’s womb. If I am
shoulders, and carried them to the top of the shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I
hill that faces Hebron. shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
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Afterward it happened that he loved a When Delilah saw that he had told her all
woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name his heart, she sent and called for the lords of
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