The Latin Vulgate VUL
English Standard Version ESV
1 abiit quoque in Gazam et vidit ibi meretricem mulierem ingressusque est ad eam
1
Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her.
2 quod cum audissent Philisthim et percrebruisset apud eos intrasse urbem Samson circumdederunt eum positis in porta civitatis custodibus et ibi tota nocte cum silentio praestolantes ut facto mane exeuntem occiderent
2
The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here. ” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him. ”
3 dormivit autem Samson usque ad noctis medium et inde consurgens adprehendit ambas portae fores cum postibus suis et sera inpositasque umeris portavit ad verticem montis qui respicit Hebron
3
But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.
4 post haec amavit mulierem quae habitabat in valle Sorech et vocabatur Dalila
4
After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 veneruntque ad eam principes Philisthinorum atque dixerunt decipe eum et disce ab illo in quo tantam habeat fortitudinem et quomodo eum superare valeamus et vinctum adfligere quod si feceris dabimus tibi singuli mille centum argenteos
5
And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver. ”
6 locuta est ergo Dalila ad Samson dic mihi obsecro in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo et quid sit quo ligatus erumpere nequeas
6
So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you. ”
7 cui respondit Samson si septem nervicis funibus necdum siccis et adhuc humentibus ligatus fuero infirmus ero ut ceteri homines
7
Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. ”
8 adtuleruntque ad eam satrapae Philisthinorum septem funes ut dixerat quibus vinxit eum
8
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 latentibus apud se insidiis et in cubiculo finem rei expectantibus clamavitque ad eum Philisthim super te Samson qui rupit vincula quomodo si rumpat quis filum de stuppae tortum putamine cum odorem ignis acceperit et non est cognitum in quo esset fortitudo eius
9
Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson! ” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
10 dixitque ad eum Dalila ecce inlusisti mihi et falsum locutus es saltim nunc indica quo ligari debeas
10
Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound. ”
11 cui ille respondit si ligatus fuero novis funibus qui numquam fuerunt in opere infirmus ero et aliorum hominum similis
11
And he said to her, “If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. ”
12 quibus rursum Dalila vinxit eum et clamavit Philisthim super te Samson in cubiculo insidiis praeparatis qui ita rupit vincula quasi fila telarum
12
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson! ” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.
13 dixitque Dalila rursum ad eum usquequo decipis me et falsum loqueris ostende quo vinciri debeas si inquit septem crines capitis mei cum licio plexueris et clavum his circumligatum terrae fixeris infirmus ero
13
Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound. ” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man. ”
14 quod cum fecisset Dalila dixit ad eum Philisthim super te Samson qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio
14
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web. And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson! ” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.
15 dixitque ad eum Dalila quomodo dicis quod ames me cum animus tuus non sit mecum per tres vices mentitus es mihi et noluisti dicere in quo sit tua maxima fortitudo
15
And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you, ’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies. ”
16 cumque molesta ei esset et per multos dies iugiter adhereret spatium ad quietem non tribuens defecit anima eius et ad mortem usque lassata est
16
And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.
17 tunc aperiens veritatem rei dixit ad eam ferrum numquam ascendit super caput meum quia nazareus id est consecratus Deo sum de utero matris meae si rasum fuerit caput meum recedet a me fortitudo mea et deficiam eroque ut ceteri homines
17
And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man. ”
18 videns illa quod confessus ei esset omnem animum suum misit ad principes Philisthinorum atque mandavit ascendite adhuc semel quia nunc mihi aperuit cor suum qui ascenderunt adsumpta pecunia quam promiserant
18
When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart. ” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands.
19 at illa dormire eum fecit super genua sua et in sinu suo reclinare caput vocavitque tonsorem et rasit septem crines eius et coepit abicere eum et a se repellere statim enim ab eo fortitudo discessit
19
She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.
20 dixitque Philisthim super te Samson qui de somno consurgens dixit in animo suo egrediar sicut ante feci et me excutiam nesciens quod Dominus recessisset ab eo
20
And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson! ” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free. ” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21 quem cum adprehendissent Philisthim statim eruerunt oculos eius et duxerunt Gazam vinctum catenis et clausum in carcere molere fecerunt
21
And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.
22 iamque capilli eius renasci coeperant
22
But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
23 et principes Philisthinorum convenerunt in unum ut immolarent hostias magnificas Dagon deo suo et epularentur dicentes tradidit deus noster inimicum nostrum Samson in manus nostras
23
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand. ”
24 quod etiam populus videns laudabat deum suum eademque dicebat tradidit deus noster in manus nostras adversarium qui delevit terram nostram et occidit plurimos
24
And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us. ”
25 laetantesque per convivia sumptis iam epulis praeceperunt ut vocaretur Samson et ante eos luderet qui adductus de carcere ludebat ante eos feceruntque eum stare inter duas columnas
25
And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us. ” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.
26 qui dixit puero regenti gressus suos dimitte me ut tangam columnas quibus omnis inminet domus ut recliner super eas et paululum requiescam
26
And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them. ”
27 domus autem plena erat virorum ac mulierum et erant ibi omnes principes Philisthinorum ac de tecto et solario circiter tria milia utriusque sexus spectabant ludentem Samson
27
Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
28 at ille invocato Domino ait Domine Deus memento mei et redde nunc mihi pristinam fortitudinem Deus meus ut ulciscar me de hostibus meis et pro amissione duorum luminum unam ultionem recipiam
28
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes. ”
29 et adprehendens ambas columnas quibus innitebatur domus alteramque earum dextera et alteram leva tenens
29
And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other.
30 ait moriatur anima mea cum Philisthim concussisque fortiter columnis cecidit domus super omnes principes et ceteram multitudinem quae ibi erat multoque plures interfecit moriens quam ante vivus occiderat
30
And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines. ” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.
31 descendentes autem fratres eius et universa cognatio tulerunt corpus eius et sepelierunt inter Saraa et Esthaol in sepulchro patris Manue iudicavitque Israhel viginti annis
31
Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025