Judges · Chapter 15

[ edit] Afftir a litil forſoþe of tyme, whanne þe dais of whete ripynge ſtooden yn, cam Sampſon wilnynge to ſe his wijf, and he brouȝte to hir a kide of þe ſhe geet; and whanne he wold goo into þe bedde of hir, as he was wont, þe fadir of hir defendide hym, ſeiynge, Y wende þat þou haddiſt hatid hyr, and þerfor Y took hir to þi freend; but ſhe haþ a ſiſter, þat is ȝonger and feyrer þan ſhe, be ſhe to þee for hir a wijf. To whom Sampſon anſwerde, Fro þis day blame ſhal not be in me aȝens þe Philiſtiens, Y ſhal do to ȝow forſoþe yuels.

And he ȝede, and took þre hundryd foxys, and þe taylis of hem he ioynede to þe taylis, and broondis he boond in þe myddil, þe whiche teendynge wiþ fier he lafte, and hidir and þidir þei runnen; þe whiche anoon wenten into þe cornys of þe Philiſtiens, þe whiche ſette a fier, and þe fruytis, now brouȝt to gidre, and þe ȝit ſtoondynge in þe ſtobil, ben brent, in ſo mych þat vynes and olyues þe flawm waſtide. And þe Philiſtiens ſeiden, Who haþ doon þis þing? To whom it is ſeide, Sampſon, þe ſone in lawe of Thannaþ, for he took his wijf, and ȝaf to anoþer, þes þingis he haþ wrouȝt. And þe Philiſtiens ſtieden vp and brenten as wel þe womman as hir fader.

To whom ſeiþ Sampſon, Al be it þat þes þingis ȝe han doon, neuerþelater ȝit of ȝou Y ſhal aſke a veniaunce, and þanne Y ſhal reſte. And he ſmoot hem wiþ a greet veniaunce, ſo þat aſtonyinge þei putten on þe calf of þe leg to þe hipe; and he deſſendynge dwellide in þe ſpelunk of þe ſtoon of Eþan. Þan Philiſtiens ſtiynge vp into þe loond of Juda ſetten tentis in þe place, þe which afterward is clepid Leþi, þat is, a cheek boon, where þe ooſt of hem is hellid. And þei of þe lynage of Juda ſeiden to hem, Whi han ȝe ſtied vp aȝens vs? Þe whiche anſwerden, Þat we bynden Sampſon we ben comen, and we ȝeelden to hym þat in vs he haþ wrouȝt.

Þanne þre þouſand of men of Juda deſſendiden to þe den of þe flynt of Eþan; and þei ſeiden to Sampſon, Woſt þou not, þat þe Philiſtiens comaunden to vs? Whi þis þing woldiſt þou doo? To whom he ſeiþ, As þei diden to me, Y dide to hem. To bynden þee, þei ſeyn, we ben comen, and to take into þe hoondis of Philiſtiens. To whom anſwerde Sampſon, Sweriþ, and bihotiþ to me, þat ȝe ſhulen not ſlee me. And þei ſeiden, We ſhulen not ſlee þee, but bounden we ſhulen ȝyue. And þei bounden hym wiþ two newe coordis, and token hym fro þe ſtoon of Eþan.

Þe which whanne was comen to þe place of þe cheek boon, and Philiſtiens criynge out weren aȝen comen to hym, þe ſpiryt of þe Lord felle into him, and as ben wont at þe ſmelle of fier trees to be waaſtid, ſo and þe boondis, wiþ þe whiche he was bounden, ben ſcaterid and looſid. And takynge a foundun cheek boon, þat is, þe cheeklap of an aſſe, þat lay, he ſlewȝ wiþ it a þouſand men; and ſeiþ, In þe cheek boon of an aſſe, þat is, in þe iow of þe colt of aſſis, I haue doon hem a wey, and ſmyten a þouſand men. And whanne þes wordis ſyngynge he hadde fulfillid, he þrewe a wey þe iow fro þe hoond; and he clepide þe name of þat place Ramaþlei, þat is to mene, þe heuynge vp of þe cheek boon.

And þreſtynge wel mych he criede to þe Lord, and ſeiþ, Þou haſt ȝeuen in þe hoond of þi ſeruaunt þis mooſt helþe and victorie; and loo! for þreſt I dye, and I ſhal falle into þe hoondis of þe vncircumcidid. And ſo þe Lord opnede a woong tooþ in þe cheek boon of þe aſſe, and watris wenten out of it, þe whiche drunkun he fedde þe ſpiryt, and ſtrengþis took aȝen; and þerfor is clepid þe name of þat place a Welle of þe inwardli clepynge fro þe cheek boon vnto þis day þat is nowe. And he demyde Yrael in þe dais of þe Philiſtiens twenti ȝeer.