Judges · Chapter 16

[ edit] He ȝede forſoþe into Gazam, and þere he ſawȝ a womman ſtrompet, and wente yn to hir. Þe which þing whanne Philiſtiens hadden ſeen, and was puppliſhid anentis hem, Sampſon to haue comen into þe citee, þei ſegeden hym about, kepers put in þe ȝatis of þe citee; and þere al nyȝt wiþ ſilence abidynge, þat þe morwetide comen him goynge out þei myȝten ſlee. Forſoþe Sampſon ſlept vnto mydnyȝt; and þens ryſynge he took boþ leeues of þe ȝate, wiþ her poſtes and lok; and put on þe ſhuldres he beer to þe cop of þe hil þat biholdiþ Ebron. After þes þingis he louede a woman þat dwellide in þe valey of Soreþ, and ſhe was clepid Dalida.

And þere camen to hyr princis of Philiſtiens, and ſeiden, Bigijl hym, and lern of hym, in what he haþ ſo myche ſtrengþ, and in what maner wiſe hym we mowen ouercome, and bounden tourmente; þe which þing if þou doſt, we ſhulen ȝyue to þee ech a þouſand hundrid platis of ſiluer. Þanne Dalyda ſpak to Sampſon, Sey to me, I biſeche, in what is þi mooſt ſtrengþ, and what þing be wiþ þe which boundun þou maiſt not breek? To whom anſwerde Sampſon, If wiþ ſeuen ſenewy coordis not ȝit dried and ȝit moyſt Y were boundun, Y ſhal be feble as oþer men.

And þe princis of þe Philiſtiens brouȝten to hir ſeuen coordis, as ſhe ſeide; wiþ þe whiche ſhe bounden hym, lurkynge anentis hir buſſhementis, and in þe bed place abidynge þe ende of þe þing. And ſhe criede to him, Philiſtien vpon þee, Sampſon! Þe which brak þe boondis, in what maner wiſe a man wold breeke þe þreed of a top of flexe, þat is ſponnen wiþ ſpotel, whanne þe ſmelle of fier it haþ takun; and it is not knowun in what þing his ſtrengþ was. And Dalida ſeide to hym, Loo! þow haſt bigilid me, and fals þou haſt ſpokyn; namely nowe ſhewe to me, wiþ what þing þow owiſt to be boundun.

To whom he anſwerde, If I were boundun wiþ newe coordis, þe whiche weren not ȝit in werk, I ſhal be feble, and of oþer men lijk. Wiþ þe which eft Dalida boond him, and criede, Philiſtien vpon þee, Sampſon! in þe bed place buſſhementis maad redi. Þe which ſo brak þe boondis as þredis of webbis. And Dalida eft ſeide to hym, Howe long ſhalt þou bigile me, and fals þow ſhalt ſpeek? Shewe where wiþ þou owiſt to be boundun. To whom anſwerde Sampſon, he ſeiþ, If ſeuen heerys of myn heed wiþ warp þreed þou plattiſt, and a nayl wiþ hem about bounden to þe erþe þow ficchiſt, I ſhal be feble. Þe which þing whanne Dalida hadde doo, ſhe ſeide to hym, Philiſtien vpon þee, Sampſon!

Þe which aryſynge fro ſleep, drowȝ out þe nayl, wiþ heeris and warp. And Dalida ſeide to hym, What maner wiſe þou ſeiſt, þat þou loueſt me, whanne þin ynwit is not wiþ me? Bi þre ſiþis þou haſt lowen to me, and þou woldiſt not ſeye to me, in what þing is þi mooſt ſtrengþ. And whanne ſhe was heuy to hym, and bi manye dais to hym biſili cleuede, ſpace to reſten not ȝyuynge, hyre lijf failide, and vnto þe deeþ is feblid. Þanne openynge þe trewþ of þe þing, he ſeide to hir, Yren neuer wente vpon myn heed, for þi Nazare, þat is, ſacrid to þe Lord, Y am fro þe wombe of my moder; if myn heed were ſhauen, my ſtrengþ ſhal goon awey fro me, and ſhal fayl, and be as oþer men.

And ſhe ſeynge þat he hadde knowlechid to hir al his inwit, ſhe ſente to þe princis of Philiſtiens, and badde, Stye ȝe vp ȝyt oons, for nowe to me he haþ openyd his herte. Þe whiche ſtieden vp, takun to þe money þat þei bihiȝten. And ſhe made hym ſleep vpon hir knees, and in her boſum to leyn þe heed; and ſhe clepide þe barbour, and he ſhoofe ſeuen heeris of hym; and ſhe biganne to þrowe hym awey, and fro hir to putte; forſoþe anoon ſtrengþ fro hym wente. And ſhe ſeide, Philiſtiens vpon þee, Sampſon! Þe which fro ſleep ryſynge, ſeide in his inwit, I ſhal goo out, as I dide before, and me I ſhal ſhaake out; vnknowinge þat þe Lord was goon awey fro hym.

Whom whanne Philiſtiens hadden cauȝt, anoon þei drewen out his eyen, and ladden hym boundun wiþ cheyns to Gazam, and cloſid in priſoun þei maden to grynde. And nowe his heeris bigunnen to growe aȝen; and þe princis of Philiſtiens camen to gidre in oon, for to offre ooſtis of greet worſhip to Dagon, her god, and for to eete, ſeyinge, Oure god haþ takun oure enemye Sampſon into oure hoondis. Þe which alſo þe puple ſeynge preyſeden her god, and þe ſame þing ſeiden, Oure god haþ taken into oure hoondis oure aduerſarie, þe which haþ doon a wey oure loond, and ſlayn many.

And þei ioiynge bi feeſtis, nowe taken meetis, þei comaundiden, þat Sampſon ſhulde be clepid, and biforn hem pleye; þe which lad out fro þe priſoun pleyde beforn hem; and þei maden hym ſtoond bitwen two pileers. Þe whiche ſeide to þe child gouernynge his goyngis, Leet me, þat I towche þe pileers on þe whiche ſtoondiþ al þe hows, þat Y lene vpon hem, and a litil while reſte. Forſoþe þe hows was ful of men and of wymmen, and þere weren þe princis of Philiſtiens, and of þe roof and ſoleer aboute þre þowſand of eiþer kynde, bidynge Sampſon pleiynge.

And he ſeiþ, þe Lord inwardli clepid, Lord, my God, haue mynde of me, and ȝeeld to me nowe þe fornhad ſtrengþ, my God, þat I wreche me on myn enemyes, and for þe leſynge of two liȝtis o veniaunce I take. And catchynge þe twey pileers, to þe whiche al þe hows ſtood, and þe toþer of hem wiþ þe riȝt, and þe toþer wiþ þe left holdynge, ſeiþ, Die my lijf wiþ Philiſtien! And þe pileers ſtrongly ſmyten to gidere, þe hows felle vpon alle þe princis, and þe toþir multitude, þat þere was; and many mo he ſlewȝ diynge, þan beforn he ſlewȝ on lyue.

And his breþeren comynge doun, and al his kynrede, token hys bodi, and byrieden it bitwix Saraa and Eſcahol, in þe birielis of his fader Manue; and he demyde Yrael twenti ȝeer.