Chapter 15

But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited⁴ his wife with a kid; ⁵⁷⁹⁵ and he said,⁴ I will go in⁴ to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer¹ him to go in.²

And her father said,⁴ I verily² thought¹ that thou hadst utterly² hated¹ her; therefore I gave⁴ her to thy companion: [is] not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

And Samson said⁴ concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless⁸ than the Philistines, though I do⁶ them a displeasure.

And Samson went⁴ and caught⁴ three hundred foxes, and took⁴ firebrands, and turned⁵⁵ tail to tail, and put⁴ a firebrand in the midst between two tails.

And when he had set⁵⁵ the brands on fire, he let [them] go¹⁷ into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up⁵⁵ both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards [and] olives.

Then the Philistines said,⁴ Who hath done¹ this? And they answered,⁴ Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken¹ his wife, and given⁴ her to his companion. And the Philistines came up,⁴ and burnt⁴ her and her father with fire.

And Samson said⁴ unto them, Though ye have done⁴ this, yet will I be avenged⁸ of you, and after that I will cease.⁴

And he smote⁵⁵ them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down⁴ and dwelt⁴ in the top of the rock Etam.

Then the Philistines went up,⁴ and pitched⁴ in Judah, and spread¹¹ themselves in Lehi.

And the men of Judah said,⁴ Why are ye come up¹ against us? And they answered,⁴ To bind² Samson are we come up,¹ to do² to him as he hath done¹ to us.

Then three thousand men of Judah went⁴ to the top of the rock Etam, and said⁴ to Samson, Knowest¹ thou not that the Philistines [are] rulers⁶ over us? what [is] this [that] thou hast done¹ unto us? And he said⁴ unto them, As they did¹ unto me, so have I done¹ unto them.

And they said⁴ unto him, We are come down¹ to bind² thee, that we may deliver² thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said⁴ unto them, Swear¹⁰ unto me, that ye will not fall upon⁴ me yourselves.

And they spake⁴ unto him, saying,² No; but we will bind⁴ thee fast,² and deliver¹ thee into their hand: but surely⁵³ we will not kill⁵⁵ thee. And they bound⁴ him with two new cords, and brought him up⁵⁵ from the rock.

[And] when he came¹ unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted⁵² against² him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily⁴ upon him, and the cords that [were] upon his arms became as flax that was burnt¹ with fire, and his bands loosed¹¹ from off his hands.

And he found⁴ a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth⁴ his hand, and took⁴ it, and slew⁵⁵ a thousand men therewith.

And Samson said,⁴ With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain⁵² a thousand men.

And it came to pass, when he had made an end¹⁵ of speaking,¹⁵ that he cast away⁵⁵ the jawbone out of his hand, and called⁴ that place Ramathlehi.

And he was sore athirst,⁴ and called⁴ on the LORD, and said,⁴ Thou hast given¹ this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die⁴ for thirst, and fall¹ into the hand of the uncircumcised?

But God clave⁴ an hollow place that [was] in the jaw, and there came water thereout;⁴ and when he had drunk,⁴ his spirit came again,⁴ and he revived:⁴ wherefore he called¹ the name thereof Enhakkore, which [is] in Lehi unto this day.

And he judged⁴ Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.