1 E aconteceu, depois de alguns dias, que na sega do trigo Sansão visitou a sua mulher com um cabrito e disse: Entrarei na câmara à minha mulher. Porém o pai dela não o deixou entrar. 2 Porque disse seu pai: Por certo dizia eu que de todo a aborrecias; de sorte que a dei ao teu companheiro; porém não é sua irmã mais nova mais formosa do que ela? Toma-a, pois, em seu lugar. 3 Então, Sansão disse acerca deles: Inocente sou esta vez para com os filisteus, quando lhes fizer algum mal. 4 E foi Sansão, e tomou trezentas raposas, e, tomando tições, as virou cauda a cauda, e lhes pôs um tição no meio de cada duas caudas. 5 E chegou fogo aos tições, e largou-as na seara dos filisteus, e assim abrasou os molhos com a sega do trigo e as vinhas com os olivais. 6 Então, disseram os filisteus: Quem fez isto? E disseram: Sansão, o genro do timnita, porque lhe tomou a sua mulher e a deu a seu companheiro. Então, subiram os filisteus e queimaram a ela e a seu pai. 7 Então, lhes disse Sansão: Assim o havíeis de fazer? Pois, havendo-me vingado eu de vós, então, cessarei. 8 E feriu-os com grande ferimento, perna juntamente com coxa; e desceu e habitou no cume da rocha de Etã.

9 Então, os filisteus subiram, e acamparam-se contra Judá, e estenderam-se por Leí.

10 E disseram os homens de Judá: Por que subistes contra nós? E eles disseram: Subimos para amarrar Sansão, para lhe fazer a ele como ele nos fez a nós. 11 Então, três mil homens de Judá desceram até à cova da rocha de Etã e disseram a Sansão: Não sabias tu que os filisteus dominam sobre nós? Por que, pois, nos fizeste isto? E ele lhes disse: Assim como eles me fizeram a mim, eu lhes fiz a eles. 12 E disseram-lhe: Descemos para te amarrar, para te entregar nas mãos dos filisteus. Então, Sansão lhes disse: Jurai-me que vós mesmos me não acometereis. 13 E eles lhe falaram, dizendo: Não, mas fortemente te amarraremos e te entregaremos na sua mão; porém, de maneira nenhuma, te mataremos. E amarraram-no com duas cordas novas e fizeram-no subir da rocha.

14 E, vindo ele a Leí, os filisteus lhe saíram ao encontro, jubilando; porém o Espírito do Senhor possantemente se apossou dele, e as cordas que ele tinha nos braços se tornaram como fios de linho que estão queimados, e as suas amarraduras se desfizeram das suas mãos. 15 E achou uma queixada fresca de um jumento, e estendeu a sua mão, e tomou-a, e feriu com ela mil homens. 16 Então, disse Sansão: Com uma queixada de jumento um montão, dois montões; com uma queixada de jumento feri a mil homens. 17 E aconteceu que, acabando ele de falar, lançou a queixada da sua mão e chamou àquele lugar Ramate-Leí.

18 E, como tivesse grande sede, clamou ao Senhor e disse: Pela mão do teu servo tu deste esta grande salvação; morrerei eu, pois, agora de sede e cairei na mão destes incircuncisos? 19 Então, o Senhor fendeu a caverna que estava em Leí; e saiu dela água, e bebeu; e o seu espírito tornou, e reviveu; pelo que chamou o seu nome: A Fonte Do Que Clama, a qual está em Leí até ao dia de hoje. 20 E julgou a Israel, nos dias dos filisteus, vinte anos.

1 And a while after, when the days of the wheat harvest were at hand, Samson came, meaning to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid of the flock. And when he would have gone into her chamber as usual, her father would not suffer him, saying:2 I thought thou hadst hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy friend: but she hath a sister, who is younger and fairer than she, take her to wife instead of her.3 And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils.4 And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail to tail, and fastened torches between the tails.5 And setting them on fire he let the foxes go, that they might run about hither and thither. And they presently went into the standing corn of the Philistines. Which being set on fire, both the corn that was already carried together, and that which was yet standing, was all burnt, insomuch, that the flame consumed also the vineyards and the oliveyards.6 Then the Philistines said: Who hath done this thing? And it was answered: Samson the son in law of the Thamnathite, because he took away his wife, and gave her to another, hath done these things. And the Philistines went up and burnt both the woman and her father.7 But Samson said to them: Although you have done this, yet will I be revenged of you, and then I will be quiet.8 And he made a great slaughter of them, so that in astonishment they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And going down he dwelt in a cavern of the rock Etam.9 Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army was spread.10 And the men of the tribe of Juda said to them: Why are you come up against us? They answered: We are come to bind Samson, and to pay him for what he hath done against us.11 Wherefore three thousand men of Juda, went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they did to me, so have I done to them.12 And they said to him, We are come to bind thee and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me, and promise me, that you will not kill me.13 They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock Etam.14 Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines shouting went to meet him, the spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him: and as the flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed.15 And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass which lay there, catching it up, be slew therewith a thousand men.16 And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt of asses I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men.17 And when he had ended these words singing, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone.18 Arid being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.19 Then the Lord opened a great tooth in the jaw of the ass, and waters issued out of it. And when he had drank them he refreshed his spirit, and recovered his strength. Therefore the name of that place was called, The Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone, until this present day.20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.