Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XVI. Chapter.

[ A] SAmson wente vnto Gasa, & there he sawe an harlot, & laye with her. Thē was it saide vnto the Gasites: Sam¦son is come hither. And they compased him aboute, & caused to laye wayte for him preue¦ly, & watched all the nighte in the gate of y^e cite, & all that nighte they helde them styll, & sayde: Abyde, tomorow whan it is lighte, we wyll slaye him. But Samson laye vnto mydnighte, then rose he at mydnighte, & to∣ke holde on both y^e syde portes of y^e gate of the cite, w^t both the postes, & lifte them out with the barres, & layed them vpon his shul¦ders, & bare them vp to y^e toppe of y^e mount ouer agaynst Hebron.

After this he fell in to the loue of a wo∣man by y^e broke of Sorek, whose name was Dalila, vnto whom the prynces of the Phili¦stynes [ B] came vp, and sayde vnto her: Persua¦de him, and loke wherin he hath soch greate strēgth, & how we maye ouercome him, y^t we mighte bynde him & subdue him, so wyll we geuethe euery man a M. and an C. syluerlin¦ges. And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: I praye the tell me, wherin thy greate strēgth is, & how thou mightest be bounde to be sub∣dued. Samson sayde vnto her: Yf I were bounde with seuē roapes of fresh senowes, which are not yet dryed vp, I shulde be wea¦ke, and as another man. Thē the prynces of the Philistynes broughte vp vnto her seuen new roapes, which were not yet dryed vp. And she bounde him therwith. (But there was wayte layed for him besyde her in the chamber) and she sayde vnto him: The Pilis∣tynes vpon the Samson. Neuertheles he brake the roapes in sunder, euē as a twyned threde breaketh, whan it hath catched the heate of the fyre. And it was not knowne wherin his strength was.

Then sayde Dalila vnto Samson: behol∣de, [ C] thou hast begyled me & dyssembled with me: tell me yet, wherwithall mayest thou be bounde? He answered her: Yf they bounde me with new coardes, wherwith no labo^r hath bene done, I shulde be feble, & as ano∣ther man. Then toke Dalila new coardes, & bounde him withall, and sayde: The Philis∣tynes vpō the Samson (but there was way¦te layed for him in the chamber.) And he bra¦ke them from his armes, euen as it had bene a threde.

Dalila sayde vnto him: Yet hast thou be∣gyled me & dessembled w^t me: O tell me yet, wherwithall mightest thou be bounde? He answered her: Yf thou playtest seuē hayri•• lockes of my heade together in a fyllet, and fastenest them in with a nayle (I shulde be weake.) And she saide vnto him: The Philis∣tynes vpō the Samson. But he awaked out of his slepe, & drue out y^e playted hayrie loc∣kes with the nale and the fyllet.

Thē sayde she vnto him: How cāst thou [ D] saye y^t thou louest me, where as thine hert is not yet with me? Thre tymes hast thou disceaued me, and not tolde me wherin thy

greate strength is. So whan she was euery daye importune vpon him w^t her wordes, & wolde not let him haue rest, his soule was faynte euen vnto the death, & he shewed her his whole hert, & sayde vnto her:* 1.1 There ca¦me neuer rasoure vpon my heade, for I am a Nazaree of God fro my mothers wombe. Yf I were shauen, my strength shulde de∣parte fro me, so that I shulde be weake, and as all other men. Now whan Dalila sawe that he had opened all his hert vnto her▪ she sent & called for the prynces of the Philisty∣nes, & sayde: Come yet once vp, for he hath opened his whole hert vnto me.

[ E] Thē came the prynces of the Philistynes vp vnto her, & broughte the money w^t them in their handes. And she made him to slepe vpon hir lappe, & called one which shoue of the seuē hayrie lockes of his heade. And she beganne to vexe him. Thē was his strength departed frō him. And she sayde vnto him: The Philistynes vpon the Samson. Now whā he awoke out of his slepe, he thoughte: I wil go forth as I haue done afore tyme, & ease my selfe, & knewe not y^t the LORDE was departed from him. But the Philistynes to¦ke him, & put out his eyes, and broughte him downe to Gasa, & bounde him w^t fetters, and made him to grynde in the preson. But the heer of his heade beganne to growe agay∣ne, where it was shauen of.

[ F] Whan y^e prynces of the Philistynes we¦re gathered together, to make a greate sacri¦fice vnto Dagon their god, and to be ioyfull, they sayde: Oure god hath delyuered Sam∣son o^r enemye in to o^r hande. Like wyse whan y^e people sawe him, they praysed their god, & sayde: Oure god hath delyuered in to oure handes oure enemye, y^t destroyed oure londe, & slewe many of vs. Now whan their hert was ioyfull, they sayde: Let vs fetch Sam∣son, that he maye make some pastyme before vs. Then fetched they Samson out of the preson, & he made pastyme before them. And they set him betwene two pilers. But Sam¦son sayde vnto the lad y^t led him by the han¦de: Let me touche the pilers wher vpon the house stondeth, y^t I maye leane ther vnto. As for y^e house, it was full of men & wemen. All the prynces of the Philistynes were the¦re also, and vpon the rofe were aboute a thre thousande men and wemen, which behelde what pastyme Samson made.

[ G] But Samson called vpon the LORDE, & sayde: O LORDE LORDE, thynke vpon me, & strength me but this once O God I beseke the, y^t for both myne eyes I maye auēge me

[illustration]

on the Philistynes. And he toke holde of y^e two mydpilers, that the house stode vpon & was holden by, the one in his righte hāde, & y^e other in his lefte, & saide: My soule dye w^t the Philistynes, & he bowed him selfe migh∣tely. Then fell the house vpon the prynces & vpon all the people that were therin, so that there were mo of y^e slayne which dyed in his death, thē he slewe whyle he lyued. Then ca¦me his brethren downe and all his fathers house, and toke him, and caried him vp, and buried him in the graue of his father Ma∣noah betwene Zarga and Esthaol. He iud∣ged Israel twentye yeare.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 6. a 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1••. a