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.
Simsonni Gasas tawa
1 ǀGuitsēb ge Simsonna Filisteǁîn ǃās Gasas ǁga ge ǃgû; tsîb ge ǁnāpa ǀai-aos ǀkha ge ǀhao tsî ǁîsa ge ǁgoe-ū. 2 Gasas di khoen ge Simsonni ǁnāpa hâsa ge ǂanǂui tsîn ge ǁnā ǃkhaisa ǃnamiǂgā tsî ǁîba hoaraga tsuxuba ǃās di dao-ams tawa ge ǃâuǁgoe. ǁÎn ge ǃnōse ǁgoe tsî ǁîn ǃnâ gere ǂâi: “Sores ǁhais ǀkha da ge ǁarikam ǁgoaga nî ǃgam bi.” 3 Xawe Simsonni ge tsuxuǃgâǁaeb kōse ǀgui ge ǁgoe. ǁÎb ge khâimâ tsî ǃās di dao-amra ǁîra mâ-ai haigu hoagu ǀkha ge ǃhomǁnâ. Tsîb ge ǁîn hoana ǃhōkha âb ai ū tsî Hebrons ǃoagu mâ ǃhommi ai ge taniǃapa.
Simsonni tsî Delilas
4 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Simsonna Delila ti ǀon hâ khoes Sorekǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ge ǁan hâ isa ge ǀnam. 5 O gu ge koro gao-aogu Filisteǁîn diga ǁîs tawa sī tsî ge mî: “Simsonna ǃhoaǁnâdana, îb mîba si tarexab ǁnātikōse a ǀgaisas tsî mâti ge ǁîba ǀgaidā, ǃgaeǃnon tsî ǀgaio kai ǁkhāsa. Mâb sige dib hoab ge ǀguiǀoadisi tsî kaidisi ǀhaiǀuri ǃâde nî mā si.”
6 Os ge Delilasa Simsonna ǃoa ge mî: “Tare-i nētikōse ra ǀgai kai tsi ǃkhaisa toxopa mîba te re. Khoe-i ga satsa ǃgaeǃnon tsî ǀgaidā ǂgao-o, mâti i nî dī?”
7 Ob ge Simsonna ge ǃeream: “Hû, ǀâ ǁapagu khās digu ǀkhan ga ǃgae te, o ta ge nau khoen ǁkhān khami nî ǂkhabusa.”
8 O gu ge Filisteǁîn gao-aoga hû, ǀâ ǁapagu khās diga ge hā-ūba, tsîs ge Simsonna ǁîgu ǀkha ge ǃgae. 9 ǁÎs ge khoega ǀnî ǃnā-oms ǃnâ ge ǃâu kai hâ i, tsîs ge “Simsontse, Filisteǁîgu ge ra hā” ti ge ǃau. Xaweb ge ǁîba khās ǁapaga ge ǂgaeǃgao, ǂomǁapagu ǀaes xa gu ga ǂhubihe o ra ǃgâugu khami. ǁNātin ge ǁîb ǀgaib di ǂganǃgâsiba ǂan tama ge i.
10 Os ge Delilasa Simsonna ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge tita gâ khoe-i khami go ī kai tsî amaba mîba te tama go i. Toxopa mîba te re mâti i khoe-e a ǃgae tsi ǁkhā ǃkhaisa?”
11 Ob ge ǁîba ge ǃeream: “ǀAsa tsurigu, noxopa sîsenūhe tamagu ǀkhan ga ǃgae te, o ta ge nau khoen ǁkhān khami nî ǂkhabusa.”
12 Delilas ge tsuriga ū tsî ge ǃgae bi. Tsîs ge ǁnās khaoǃgâ ge ǃau: “Simsontse, Filisteǁîgu ge ra hā.” Khoegu ge ǁkhawa ǀnî ǃnā-oms ǃnâ ge ǃâu hâ i. Xaweb ge ǁîba tsuriga ǁîb ǁôakha xu ǁapa-i khami ge ǂgaeǃgao.
13 Os ge Delilasa Simsonna ǃoa ge mî: “Sats ge noxopa tita gâ khoese ra ī kai, tsîts ge amaba mîba te tama hâ. Mâti i khoe-e nî ǃgae tsi ǃkhaisa mîba te re.”
Ob ge ǁîba ge ǃeream: “Ti hû ǂgomasa ǀûga saran ǂgapu-ūxūs ǃnâ ǂgomaǀhao, î ǀgaisase ǃgaeǁapo, o ta ge nau khoen ǁkhān khami nî ǂkhabusa.”
14 Simsonni ǁom hâ, hîas ge Delilasa ǁîb du hû ǂgomasa ǀûga ū tsî ǀurib ǀkha ǃgaeǁapoǁapo tsî ge ǃau: “Simsontse, Filisteǁîgu ge ra hā.” Xaweb ge ǂkhai tsî ǀûgu âba ǃgaesa gu ge iba xu ǀurib hoab ǀkha ge ǃhomǂui.
15 Os ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Mâtits kha ǀnam si ta a ti a mî ǁkhā, titats ga ǂgomǃgâ tama io? ǃNona ǃnādets ge nēsi gâ khoe-i khami go ī kai, xawets ge tare-i nēti ra ǀgai kai tsisa noxopa mîba te tama hâ.” 16 ǁÎs ge tsēkorobe ǀûs ose gere dî ka dî bi, egab ge sī nē dîheb xa tsau tsî ǁkhā ǁoas kōse. 17 Tsîb ge ǁîsa amaba ge mîba: “Ti ǀûn ge noxopa ǂkhomhetsâ tama hâ. Tita ǃnae ta gesa xu Nasirǁîse Eloba khaibahe hâ. Ti ǀûn ga ǂkhomǁnâhe, o ta ge ti ǀgaiba nî ǂoaǃnâ tsî ta ge nau khoen ǁkhān khami nî ǂkhabusa.”
18 Amabab go mîba si ǃkhaisas ge ǂan, os ge Delilasa Filisteǁîn di gao-aoga ge haisiba: “ǁKhawa go oaǀkhī re, amabab go mîba te xuige.” O gu ge ǁga ge hā tsî mari-e ge hā-ūsao. 19 Os ge Delilasa Simsonna tîǂams âs ai ǁomǁom tsî ǀgui khoeba ge ǂgai, tsîb ge ǁîba Simsonni di hû ǂgomasa ǀûga ge ǂkhomǁnâ. ǁNās khaoǃgâs ge ǁîba ge tsûtsûtsoatsoa, ǀgaib âbab ge ǂoaǃnâ xui-ao. 20 Tsîs ge “Simsontse, Filisteǁîgu ge ra hā” ti ge ǃau, ob ge ǁîba ǂkhai tsî ge ǂâi “Nē ǃnās tsîna ta nau ǃnādi ais ǁkhās khami xoresen tsî nî ǂoa” ti. ǁÎb ge ǃKhūb go ǁnāxū bi ǃkhaisa ge ǀū i. 21 Filisteǁîgu ge ǃkhō bi tsî mûra âba ge ǃkhāǂui. Tsî gu ge Gasas ǃoa ǃgû-ū bi brons khedekha ǀkha ge ǃgae bi tsî ǃkhō-oms ǃnâ ǁkhamisa gere ǁkhami kai bi. 22 Xawen ge ǀnîn âba ǁkhawa ge ǀomtsoatsoa.
Simsonni di ǁōb
23 Filisteǁîn di gao-aogu ge ge ǀhao ǁâudī-e dī tsî gu ǁîn elob Dagonna kai ǁguiba-e nî ǁguibase. ǁÎgu ge ge mî: “Sida elob ge sida khākhoeb Simsonni ǂama dansa go mā da.” 24-25 ǁÎn ge kaise dâ tsî ge mî: “Simsonna ǂgai îb ǁkhoaxasi-e hā dība da.” Simsonni ge ǃkhō-omsa xu a hā-ūhe, on ge ǁîba ǁkhoaxasi-e dī kai tsî ǂkhâǃnâhaikha ǁaegu ge mâ kai. Tsî Filisteǁîn ge ǁîban ge mûo, ǁîn di eloba ge koaǁnaeba: “Sida elob ge sida khākhoeb, sida ǃhūba hîkākā tsî ge ǂguin âda a ǃgammi ǂama dansa go mā da.” 26 Simsonni ge ǁîba ǃkhōǁôa hâ axaba ǃoa ge mî: “A ta tempeli ǁîkha ai a ǁapoǁaposa ǂkhâǃnâhaikha tsâǀkhā re, î ta ǁîkha ai ǃgâsen.” 27 Ommi ge aorekhoegu tsî tarekhoedi tsîn xa ge ǀoa hâ i. Hoa koro Filisteǁî gao-aogu ge ǁnāpa ge hâ i, tsî ommi ǂamǃnâs ain ge ǃnonaǀoadisi nî i khoegu tsî khoedi tsîna ge hâ i, Simsonni ra dī ǁkhoaxasina gere kōna.
28 Ob ge Simsonna ge ǀgore: “ǃKhū Elotse tita xa ǂâi re. Nē ǃnās ǀguisa ǁkhawa ǀgaiǀgai te re, î ta nē ǀgui dīb ǀkha Filisteǁîna ǀkhaobasen, ti mûran ge ūǂui ǃkhais ǃaroma.” 29 Simsonni ge ǁaegub ǃnâ mâ ǂkhâǃnâhaikha, ommi ǁîkha ai ǁapoǁapohe hâkha ge ǃkhō. ǀGuiba amǀkhāb ǁôab ǀkha tsî nauba ǁareǀkhāb ǁôab ǀkha ǃkhō 30 tsî ge ǃau: “A ta Filisteǁîn ǀkha ǁō re.” Tsîb ge ǁîb di ǀgaib hoab ǀkha ge ǂgae, tsîb ge omma Filisteǁîn di koro gao-aogu tsî ǁîb ǃnâ hâ khoen hoan ai ge ǃkhom. ǁNātib ge Simsonna ǁîb di ǁōb tawa, ûib âb ǃnâb ge ǃgam khoen xa ǃnāsa khoena ge ǃgam.
31 ǁÎb di ǃgâsagu tsî ǁîb di ǀaokhoen tsîn ge ǁîb di sorosa hā ge ū. Tsîn ge ū bi tsî Soras tsî Estaols tsîra ǁaegu, ǁîb îb Manoaxi di ǀhobas ǃnâ ge ǁkhō bi. Simsonni ge Israelǁîna ǀgamdisi kuriga ge ǂgaeǂgui.
