Judges 16:16-30

She tormented him day after day until he was sick to death of her nagging. Finally, he confessed to her everything: “I’ve never had my hair cut, because my parents dedicated me to God from birth. If anyone cuts my hair, my power will leave me, and I’ll become as weak as anyone else.” When Delilah realized he had finally disclosed his secret, she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come quickly!” she said. “He’s finally told me his secret!” So the Philistine rulers returned with the bribe money in their hands. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap. Then she called in a barber to cut off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she weakened him, and his strength drained from him. Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” He woke up and thought, “I’ll do the same as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize that YAHWEH had turned away from him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza, where they bound him with bronze chains and forced him to grind grain in the prison. But before long, his hair began to grow back. One day, the Philistine tyrants celebrated a great festival to offer extravagant sacrifices to their god, Dagon. They praised Dagon, saying, “Our god has given us victory! Dagon has subdued our strong enemy Samson!” When the people saw their idol, they too joined in the praises, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy to us! The one who devastated our country and piled our corpses high!” By now, the people were getting drunk and demanded, “Bring out Samson and let him dance for us!” So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they displayed him between the main pillars that supported their temple. Blind Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, “Let go of me and let me feel the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to lean against them.” The temple was completely packed with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were some three thousand men and women in the balcony watching as Samson provided them some amusement. Then Samson prayed to YAHWEH, “Lord YAHWEH, please remember me again. O God, impart your strength to me just one more time. With one blow let me take revenge on the Philistines for gouging out my eyes.” Then Samson reached toward the two center pillars that held up the temple, his left hand on one and his right hand on the other, and he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then with all his might, with both hands he pushed against the pillars, and the temple came crashing down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So Samson killed more enemies through his death than in his entire lifetime.