1 Sansão foi a Gaza, onde viu uma mulher meretriz, e foi procurá-la.2 E a notícia correu pela cidade: Sansão está aqui. Puseram-se de emboscada nos arredores durante toda a noite, junto às portas da cidade, e ficaram quietos toda a noite, dizendo: Ao romper do dia, matá-lo-emos.3 Sansão dormiu até a meia-noite. E levantando-se pela meia-noite tomou os batentes da porta de Gaza, com os seus postes, arrancou-os juntamente com o ferrolho, pô-los sobre os ombros e levou-os até o alto da montanha que está defronte de Hebron.4 Depois disto, enamorou-se de uma mulher que habitava no vale de Sorec, chamada Dalila.5 Os príncipes dos filisteus foram ter com ela e disseram-lhe: Procura seduzi-lo e vê se descobres de onde lhe vem sua força e como o poderemos vencer, a fim de o amarrarmos para dominá-lo. Se fizeres isto, dar-te-emos cada um de nós mil e cem moedas de prata.6 Dalila disse a Sansão: Dize-me, de onde vem tua força? E de que modo se precisaria ligar-te para que fosses dominado?7 Sansão respondeu-lhe: Se me amarrassem com sete cordas de nervos ainda frescas e úmidas, eu me tornaria tão fraco como qualquer homem.8 Os príncipes dos filisteus trouxeram a Dalila sete cordas de nervos bem frescas e úmidas, com as quais ela o ligou.9 Ora, estando eles de emboscada no quarto, ela gritou: Sansão, os filisteus vêm contra ti! E ele rompeu as cordas com se rompe um cordão de estopa, mal se lhe chega o fogo. Assim, permaneceu oculto o segredo de sua força.10 Dalila disse-lhe: Tu zombaste de mim, mentindo-me. Dize-me agora com que se precisaria ligar-te.11 Se me amarrassem com cordas novas, disse ele, que ainda não tenham servido, eu me tornaria tão fraco como qualquer homem.12 Dalila tomou, pois, cordas novas, amarrou-o com elas e gritou: Sansão, os filisteus vêm contra ti! Ora, estavam eles de emboscada no quarto, mas Sansão rompeu como se fossem um fio as cordas que lhe amarravam os braços.13 Até ao presente, disse-lhe Dalila, só tens zombado de mim e só me tens dito mentiras. Dize-me com que será preciso amarrar-te. Bastará, respondeu Sansão, que teças as sete tranças de minha cabeça com a urdidura do teu tear.14 Ela fixou-as com o torno do tear, e gritou: Sansão, os filisteus vêm contra ti! Ele, despertando do sono, arrancou o torno do tear com os liços.15 Dalila disse-lhe: Como podes dizer que me amas, se o teu coração não está comigo? Eis já três vezes que me enganas, e não me queres dizer onde reside a tua força.16 Ela o importunava cada dia com suas perguntas, instando com ele e molestando-o de tal sorte, que ele sentiu com isso uma impaciência mortal.17 E Sansão acabou por confiar-lhe o seu segredo: Sobre minha cabeça, disse ele, nunca passou a navalha, porque sou nazareno de Deus desde o seio de minha mãe. Se me for rapada a cabeça, a minha força me abandonará e serei então fraco como qualquer homem.18 Dalila sentiu que ele lhe tinha aberto todo o seu coração; e mandou dizer aos príncipes dos filisteus: Subi agora; porque ele me abriu todo o seu coração. E os príncipes dos filisteus foram ter com ela, levando o dinheiro em suas mãos.19 Dalila fez que seu marido adormecesse nos seus joelhos, e chamando um homem, mandou-lhe que rapasse as sete tranças de sua cabeça. Ela começou a dominá-lo, pois sua força o deixou.20 E disse: Sansão, os filisteus vêm contra ti! Despertando ele do sono, disse consigo mesmo: Desembaraçar-me-ei deles como das outras vezes e me livrarei. Ignorava Sansão que o Senhor se tinha retirado dele.21 E os filisteus, tomando-o, furaram-lhe os olhos e levaram-no a Gaza ligado com uma dupla cadeia de bronze, e ali meteram-no na prisão, fazendo-o girar a mó.22 Entretanto, os seus cabelos recomeçavam a crescer.23 Ora, os príncipes dos filisteus reuniram-se para oferecer um grande sacrifício a Dagon, seu deus, e celebrar uma festa. Nosso deus, diziam eles, entregou-nos Sansão nosso inimigo.24 Também o povo, vendo isso, louvava o seu deus, dizendo: O nosso deus entregou-nos o nosso inimigo, aquele que devastava nossa terra e matava tantos dos nossos.25 E estando eles de coração alegre, exclamaram: Mandai vir Sansão para nos divertir! Tiraram-no da prisão, e Sansão teve que dançar diante deles. Tendo sido colocado entre as colunas,26 Sansão disse ao jovem que o conduzia pela mão: Deixa que eu toque as colunas que sustêm o templo, e que me apóie a elas.27 Ora, o templo estava repleto de homens e mulheres, e estavam ali todos os príncipes dos filisteus; havia cerca de três mil pessoas, homens e mulheres, que do teto olhavam o prisioneiro dançar.28 Sansão, porém, invocando o Senhor, disse: Senhor Javé, rogo-vos que vos lembreis de mim. Dai-me, ó Deus, ainda esta vez, força para vingar-me dos filisteus pela perda de meus olhos.29 Abraçando então as duas colunas centrais sobre as quais repousava todo o edifício, pegou numa com a mão direita e noutra com a mão esquerda, e gritou:30 Morra eu com os filisteus! Dizendo isso, sacudiu com todas as suas forças o edifício, que ruiu sobre os príncipes e sobre todo o povo reunido. Desse modo, matou pela sua própria morte muito mais homens do que os que matara em toda a sua vida.31 Então desceram a Gaza os seus irmãos e toda a sua família paterna, tomaram-no, e tendo voltado, sepultaram-no no túmulo de seu pai, entre Sorea e Estaol. Sansão fora juiz em Israel durante vinte anos.

1 Then went Samson to Gazzah, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.2 And it was told to the Gazzites, saying, Samson is come hither: and they compassed him in, and lay in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city, and held themselves quiet all the night, saying, By the time it is light in the morning will we kill him.3 And Samson lay till midnight; but he arose at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the city–gate, and the two door–posts, and tore them away with the bolt, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mount that is before Hebron.4 And it came to pass after this, that he loved a woman in the valley of Shorek, whose name was Delilah.5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Persuade him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail over him, that we may bind him to subdue him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou canst be bound to subdue thee.7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven moist cords which have not yet been dried, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.8 And the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven moist cords which had not yet been dried, and she bound him with them.9 And she had men lying in wait, sitting near her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he tore the cords, as a thread of tow is torn when it toucheth the fire; and his strength was not perceived.10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; now do tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou canst be bound.11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used in work, then shall I become weak, and be like any other of mankind.12 And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers in wait were sitting in the chamber. But he tore them from off his arms like a thread.13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast deceived me, and told me lies; do tell me wherewith thou canst be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awakened out of his sleep, and tore away the pin of the loom, with the web.15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou deceived me, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.16 And it came to pass, when she worried him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul became impatient to die;17 And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, A razor hath not passed over my head; for a Nazarite of God have I been from my mother’s womb; if I were shaved, my strength would depart from me, and I should become weak, and be like all other men.18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once; for he hath told me all his heart. Then came the lords of the Philistines up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to subdue him, and his strength departed from him.20 And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself free. But he knew not that the Lord had departed from him.21 And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazzah, and bound him with fetters of copper; and he had to grind in the prison–house.22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.23 And the lords of the Philistines gathered themselves together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand Samson our enemy.24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, and him who hath slain so many of us.25 And it came to pass, when their heart was merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us. And they called for Samson out of the prison–house; and he made sport before them; and they placed him between the pillars.26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me to go and let me feel the pillars whereupon the house is supported, that I may lean upon them.27 Now the house was full of men and women; and there were all the lords of the Philistines; and upon the roof were about three thousand men and women, that looked on while Samson made sport.28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord Eternal, remember me, I pray thee, and do thou strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged for one of my two eyes on the Philistines.29 And Samson threw his arms around the two middle pillars upon which the house was supported, and he leaned on them, on one with his right hand, and on the other with his left.30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bent them with might, and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life.31 Then came down his brothers and all the house of his father, and they took him up, and carried him up, and buried him between Zor’ah and Eshtaol, in the burying–place of Manoach his father. And he had judged Israel twenty years.