1
Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and slept with her.
2
The people of Gaza were told, "Samson's here!" So they surrounded the place and waited all night at the city gate to ambush him. They were quiet all night. They thought, "We'll kill him at dawn."
3
But Samson was in bed [with the prostitute] only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors, door posts, and bar of the city gate and pulled them out. He carried them on his shoulders to the top of the hill facing Hebron.
4
After [leaving Gaza], he fell in love with a woman in the Sorek Valley. Her name was Delilah.
5
The Philistine rulers came to her and said, "Trick him, and find out what makes him so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. We want to tie him up in order to torture him. Each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver."
6
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes you so strong. How can you be tied up so that someone could torture you?"
7
Samson told her, "If someone ties me up with seven new bowstrings that are not dried out, I will be like any other man."
8
The Philistine rulers brought her seven new bowstrings that were not dried out. She tied Samson up with them.
9
Some men were hiding in the bedroom waiting for her [to tie him up]. Then she said to him, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Samson snapped the bowstrings as a thread snaps when it touches fire. So no one found out why he was so strong.
10
Delilah told Samson, "Look, you're making fun of me by telling me lies. Now, tell me how you can be tied up."