23 The Philistine leaders gathered for a great religious festival to sacrifice to their god Dagon and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has handed Samson our enemy over to us!"
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, and said, "Our god has handed our enemy over to us, the one who devastated our land and killed so many of us."
25 As they began to get drunk, they shouted, "Summon Samson so he can entertain us!" So they summoned Samson from the prison to entertain them, and made him stand between the two main pillars of the building.
26 Samson said to the servant boy who was leading him by the hand, "Leave me by the pillars on which the temple rests so I can feel them, and lean against them." 27 The temple was full of people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and on the roof were the ordinary people watching what Samson was doing.