וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַזָּתָה וַיַּרְא־שָׁם אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ׃   16:1

Judg. 16:1   And Samson went to Gaza, and saw a woman of harlotry there, and he went in to her

לַעַזָּתִים לֵאמֹר בָּא שִׁמְשׁוֹן הֵנָּה וַיָּסֹבּוּ וַיֶּאֶרְבוּ־לוֹ כָל־הַלַּיְלָה בְּשַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיִּתְחָרְשׁוּ כָל־הַלַּיְלָה   16:2

לֵאמֹר עַד־אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר וַהֲרְגְנֻהו׃ּ

Judg. 16:2   for the Gazites to say, “Samson has come here.”  And they surrounded and lay in ambush for him all night at the gate of the city, and hid all night, saying, “When it is light of morning, then we will kill him.”

וַיִּשְׁכַּב שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַד־חֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּקָם בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּאֱחֹז בְּדַלְתוֹת שַׁעַר־הָעִיר וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת   16:3

וַיִּסָּעֵם עִם־הַבְּרִיחַ וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־כְּתֵפָיו וַיַּעֲלֵם אֶל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי חֶבְרוֹן׃

Judg. 16:3   And Samson lay until the middle of the night, and he arose in the middle of the night, and he laid hold on the doors of the gate of the city and on the two posts, and he pulled them up, with the bar, and put on his shoulder and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is in front of Hebron.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיֶּאֱהַב אִשָּׁה בְּנַחַל שֹׂרֵק וּשְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה׃   16:4

Judg. 16:4   And it came to pass after this that he was the lover of a woman in the valley Sorek and her name was Delilah.

וַיַּעֲלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ פַּתִּי אוֹתוֹ וּרְאִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחוֹ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻהוּ   16:5

לְעַנֹּתוֹ וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִתַּן־לָךְ אִישׁ אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה כָּסֶף׃

Judg. 16:5   And the lords of the Philistines went up to her and said to her, “Entice him and see wherein is his strength so great and how we may prevail against him, so we can bind him to afflict him, and we will give, each man, one thousand and one hundred pieces of silver to you.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל־שִׁמְשׁוֹן הַגִּידָה־נָּא לִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחֲךָ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה תֵאָסֵר לְעַנּוֹתֶךָ׃   16:6

Judg. 16:6   And Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me wherein your strength is so great and how you may be bound to afflict you.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ שִׁמְשֹׁון אִם־יַאַסְרֻנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה יְתָרִים לַחִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־חֹרָבוּ וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּאַחַד   16:7

הָאָדָם׃

Judg. 16:7   And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh ropes that have not dried, then I will be weak and be like any other man.”

וַיַּעֲלוּ־לָהּ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים שִׁבְעָה יְתָרִים לַחִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־חֹרָבוּ וַתַּאַסְרֵהוּ בָּהֶם׃   16:8

Judg. 16:8   So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh ropes that had not dried and she tied him with them.

וְהָאֹרֵב יֹשֵׁב לָהּ בַּחֶדֶר וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיְנַתֵּק אֶת־הַיְתָרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִנָּתֵק   16:9

פְּתִיל־הַנְּעֹרֶת בַּהֲרִיחוֹ אֵשׁ וְלֹא נוֹדַע כֹּחוֹ׃

Judg. 16:9   Now an ambush was lurking for her in the inner chamber, and she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.  And he broke the ropes as a thread of tow is broken on its touching fire.  So his strength was not known.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל־שִׁמְשׁוֹן הִנֵּה הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלַי כְּזָבִים עַתָּה הַגִּידָה־נָּא לִי בַּמֶּה תֵּאָסֵר׃   16:10

Judg. 16:10   And Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have been deceitful with me and told lies to me.  Now please tell to me how you might be bound.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אִם־אָסוֹר יַאַסְרוּנִי בַּעֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נַעֲשָׂה בָהֶם מְלָאכָה וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי   16:11

כְּאַחַד הָאָדָם׃

Judg. 16:11   And he said to her, “If they bind me fast with new ropes that no work has been done with them, then I be will weak and be like any other man.”

וַתִּקַּח דְּלִילָה עֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים וַתַּאַסְרֵהוּ בָהֶם וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וְהָאֹרֵב יֹשֵׁב   16:12

בֶּחָדֶר וַיְנַתְּקֵם מֵעַל זְרֹעֹתָיו כַּחוּט׃

Judg. 16:12   So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.”  And the ambush lurked in the inner chamber.  And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל־שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַד־הֵנָּה הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלַי כְּזָבִים הַגִּידָה לִּי בַּמֶּה תֵּאָסֵר וַיֹּאמֶר   16:13

אֵלֶיהָ אִם־תַּאַרְגִי אֶת־שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשִׁי עִם־הַמַּסָּכֶת׃

Judg. 16:13   And Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have been deceitful with me and told lies to me.  Tell to me how you may be bound.” And he said to her, “If you will weave seven locks of my head with the web.”

וַתִּתְקַע בַּיָּתֵד וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיִּיקַץ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיִּסַּע אֶת־הַיְתַד הָאֶרֶג וְאֶת־   16:14

הַמַּסָּכֶת׃

Judg. 16:14   And she fastened with a pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.“  And he awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin of the weaving beam and of the web.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֵיךְ תֹּאמַר אֲהַבְתִּיךְ וְלִבְּךָ אֵין אִתִּי זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וְלֹא־הִגַּדְתָּ לִּי בַּמֶּה   16:15

כֹּחֲךָ גָדוֹל׃

Judg. 16:15   And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ and your heart is not with me?  These three times you have been deceitful with me and have not told to me how your strength is so great.”

וַיְהִי כִּי־הֵצִיקָה לּוֹ בִדְבָרֶיהָ כָּל־הַיָּמִים וַתְּאַלֲצֵהוּ וַתִּקְצַר נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת׃   16:16

Judg. 16:16   And it came to pass, when she pressed against him with her words every day and urged him, so his soul was vexed to death,

וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מוֹרָה לֹא־עָלָה עַל־רֹאשִׁי כִּי־נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אִם־   16:17

גֻּלַּחְתִּי וְסָר מִמֶּנִּי כֹחִי וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּכָל־הָאָדָם׃

Judg. 16:17   that he told all his heart to her and he said to her, “A razor has not come up upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite of God from the womb of my mother.  If I had shaved, then my strength would go from me and I would be weak, and I would be like all men.”

וַתֵּרֶא דְלִילָה כִּי־הִגִּיד לָהּ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים לֵאמֹר עֲלוּ הַפַּעַם כִּי־   16:18

הִגִּיד (לה) [לִי] אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ וְעָלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּעֲלוּ הַכֶּסֶף בְּיָדָם׃

Judg. 16:18   When Delilah saw that he had told all his heart to her, then she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines saying, “Come up this time, for he has told all his heart to me.”  Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought up the silver in their hand.

An error in the second word of the second line (in the parentheses) is corrected in the brackets so that the verse says to me instead of to her.

וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵהוּ עַל־בִּרְכֶּיהָ וַתִּקְרָא לָאִישׁ וַתְּגַלַּח אֶת־שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשׁוֹ וַתָּחֶל לְעַנּוֹתוֹ וַיָּסַר כֹּחוֹ   16:19

מֵעָלָיו׃

Judg. 16:19   And she made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head.  So she began to weaken him, and his strength left from him.

וַתֹּאמֶר פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיִּקַץ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא כְּפַעַם בְּפַעַם וְאִנָּעֵר וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע כִּי   16:20

יְהוָה סָר מֵעָלָיו׃

Judg. 16:20   And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.”  And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out like time after time and shake myself.”  But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

וַיֹּאחֲזוּהוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיְנַקְּרוּ אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיּוֹרִידוּ אוֹתוֹ עַזָּתָה וַיַּאַסְרוּהוּ בַּנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם וַיְהִי טוֹחֵן בְּבֵית   16:21

הָאֲסִירִים׃

Judg. 16:21   Then the Philistines seized him and put out his eyes, and they brought him down to Gaza and they bound him with fetters of brass, and he was a grinder in the house of prisoners.

וַיָּחֶל שְׂעַר־רֹאשׁוֹ לְצַמֵּחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר גֻּלָּח׃   16:22

Judg. 16:22   But the hair of his head began to grow again after having been shaven.

וְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֱסְפוּ׳1׳ לִזְבֹּחַ זֶבַח־גָּדוֹל לְדָגוֹן אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וּלְשִׂמְחָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ נָתַן אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּיָדֵנוּ   16:23

אֵת שִׁמְשׁוֹן אוֹיְבֵינוּ׃

Judg. 16:23   And the lords of the Philistines came together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their god, and for a festival, and they said, “Our god has delivered the Samson, our enemy, into our hand.”

וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתוֹ הָעָם וַיְהַלְלוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי אָמְרוּ נָתַן אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְיָדֵנוּ אֶת־אוֹיְבֵנוּ וְאֵת מַחֲרִיב   16:24

אַרְצֵנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר הִרְבָּה אֶת־חֲלָלֵינוּ׃

Judg. 16:24   When the people saw him, then they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has delivered into our hand our enemy and the destroyer of our land and who has increased our slain.”

וַיְהִי כִּי טוֹב לִבָּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ קִרְאוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן וִישַׂחֶק־לָנוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן מִבֵּית הָאֲסִירִים   16:25

וַיְצַחֵק לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמִידוּ אוֹתוֹ בֵּין הָעַמּוּדִים׃

Judg. 16:25   And it was when their hearts were merry that they said, “Call for Samson and he will make sport for us.”  And they called for Samson from the house of prisoners, and he made sport before them, and they placed him between the columns.

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל־הַנַּעַר הַמַּחֲזִיק בְּיָדוֹ הַנִּיחָה אוֹתִי וַהֵימִשֵׁנִי אֶת־הָעַמֻּדִים אֲשֶׁר הַבַּיִת   16:26

נָכוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם וְאֶשָּׁעֵן עֲלֵיהֶם׃

Judg. 16:26   And Samson said to the young man to whom he was held by his hand, “Allow me to stay that I may touch the columns on which the house rests, so I may lean against them.

וְהַבַּיִת מָלֵא הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְשָׁמָּה כֹּל סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וְעַל־הַגָּג כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה   16:27

הָרֹאִים בִּשְׂחוֹק שִׁמְשׁוֹן׃

Judg. 16:27   Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson making sport.

וַיִּקְרָא שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה זָכְרֵנִי נָא וְחַזְּקֵנִי נָא אַךְ הַפַּעַם הַזֶּה הָאֱלֹהִים וְאִנָּקְמָה   16:28

נְקַם־אַחַת מִשְּׁתֵי עֵינַי מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים׃

Judg. 16:28   And Samson called to the Lord and said, “My Lord, O Lord, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, just this time, O He Who is God, that I may exact one revenge for my two eyes of the Philistines.”

וַיִּלְפֹּת שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶת־שְׁנֵי עַמּוּדֵי הַתָּוֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הַבַּיִת נָכוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּסָּמֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶחָד בִּימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד   16:29

בִּשְׂמֹאלו׃ֹ

Judg. 16:29   And Samson clasped the two middle columns on which the house was resting and stood fast against them, one with his right hand and one with his left hand.

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן תָּמוֹת נַפְשִׁי עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיֵּט בְּכֹחַ וַיִּפֹּל הַבַּיִת עַל־הַסְּרָנִים וְעַל־כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־   16:30

בּוֹ וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים אֲשֶׁר הֵמִית בְּמוֹתוֹ רַבִּים מֵאֲשֶׁר הֵמִית בְּחַיָּיו׃

Judg. 16:30   And Samson said, “Let my soul die with the Philistines.”  And he extended with strength, and the house fell on the lords and on all the people who were in it.  So the dead were more than whom he had killed in his life.

וַיֵּרְדוּ אֶחָיו וְכָל־בֵּית אָבִיהוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בֵּין צָרְעָה וּבֵין אֶשְׁתָּאֹל בְּקֶבֶר מָנוֹחַ   16:31

אָבִיו וְהוּא שָׁפַט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה׃

Judg. 16:31   Then his brethren came down and all the house of his father and they took him and went up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoach, his father.  And he had judged Israel twenty years.

The story about Samson heartens me.  He was a flawed individual, yet the Lord used him for a purpose bigger than himself.  I have viewed myself as a flawed individual whom the Lord is using for a larger purpose.  Because of my flaws I have doubted my ability to be a legitimate, effective, and innovative translator of the bible.  I have often doubted that God had called me to this task.  Who am I, I would frequently ask.  But seeing how flawed Samson was, and yet he fulfilled the purpose for which the Lord had chosen him, I gain some confidence that I -- with all my failings -- might do the same.

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