Samson’s Revenge

1  וַיְהִ֨י (And it came to pass) מִיָּמִ֜ים (after some days), בִּימֵ֣י (in the days) קְצִיר־ (of harvest) חִטִּ֗ים (wheat), וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד (that visited) שִׁמְשׁ֤וֹן (Samson) אֶת־ (-) אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ (his wife) בִּגְדִ֣י (with a kid) עִזִּ֔ים (of the goats), וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (and he said), אָבֹ֥אָה (Let me go in) אֶל־ (to) אִשְׁתִּ֖י (my wife) הֶחָ֑דְרָה (in the inner chamber). וְלֹֽא־ (Not) נְתָנ֥וֹ (would permit him) אָבִ֖יהָ (her father) לָבֽוֹא׃ (to go in).

2  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) אָבִ֗יהָ (her father), אָמֹ֤ר (Speaking) אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ (I said) כִּי־ (that) שָׂנֹ֣א (hating) שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ (you hated her). וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה (And I gave her) לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ (to your companion). הֲלֹ֨א (Is not) אֲחֹתָ֤הּ (her sister) הַקְּטַנָּה֙ (younger) טוֹבָ֣ה (better) מִמֶּ֔נָּה (than she). תְּהִי־ (Take her) נָ֥א (please) לְךָ֖ (to you), תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃ (instead of her).

3  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (And said) לָהֶם֙ (to them) שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (Samson) נִקֵּ֥יתִי (I shall be blameless) הַפַּ֖עַם (this time) מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (regarding the Philistines), כִּֽי־ (though) עֹשֶׂ֥ה (am doing) אֲנִ֛י (I) עִמָּ֖ם (them) רָעָֽה׃ (harm).

4  וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ (And went) שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (Samson) וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד (and caught) שְׁלֹשׁ־ (three) מֵא֣וֹת (hundred) שׁוּעָלִ֑ים (foxes), וַיִּקַּ֣ח (and he took) לַפִּדִ֗ים (torches) וַיֶּ֤פֶן (and turned them) זָנָב֙ (tail) אֶל־ (to) זָנָ֔ב (tail), וַיָּ֨שֶׂם (and he put) לַפִּ֥יד (torch) אֶחָ֛ד (one) בֵּין־ (between) שְׁנֵ֥י (the two) הַזְּנָב֖וֹת (tails) בַּתָּֽוֶךְ׃ (in the middle). 5  וַיַּבְעֶר־ (And he kindled) אֵשׁ֙ (fire) בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים (in the torches) וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח (and sent them out) בְּקָמ֣וֹת (into the standing grain) פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (of the Philistines), וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר (and burned up) מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ (from the shocks) וְעַד־ (and to) קָמָ֖ה (the standing grain), וְעַד־ (and to) כֶּ֥רֶם (the vineyards) זָֽיִת׃ (and olive groves).

6  וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (And said) פְלִשְׁתִּים֮ (the Philistines), מִ֣י (Who) עָ֣שָׂה (has done) זֹאת֒ (this)?

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (And they answered), שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ (Samson), חֲתַ֣ן (the son-in-law) הַתִּמְנִ֔י (of the Timnite), כִּ֚י (because) לָקַ֣ח (he has taken) אֶת־ (-) אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ (his wife) וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ (and given her) לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ (to his companion).

וַיַּעֲל֣וּ (And came up) פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (the Philistines) וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ (and burned) אוֹתָ֛הּ (her) וְאֶת־ (and) אָבִ֖יהָ (her father) בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ (with the fire).

7  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (And said) לָהֶם֙ (to them) שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (Samson), אִֽם־ (Since) תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן (you⁺ would do a thing) כָּזֹ֑את (like this), כִּ֛י (yet) אִם־ (surely) נִקַּ֥מְתִּי (I will take revenge) בָכֶ֖ם (on you⁺), וְאַחַ֥ר (and afterward) אֶחְדָּֽל׃ (I will cease). 8  וַיַּ֨ךְ (And he struck) אוֹתָ֥ם (them) שׁ֛וֹק (hip) עַל־ (and) יָרֵ֖ךְ (thigh) מַכָּ֣ה (with a slaughter) גְדוֹלָ֑ה (great). וַיֵּ֣רֶד (And he went down) וַיֵּ֔שֶׁב (and dwelt) בִּסְעִ֖יף (in the cleft) סֶ֥לַע (of the rock) עֵיטָֽם׃ס (of Etam).

9  וַיַּעֲל֣וּ (And went up) פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (the Philistines) וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ (and encamped) בִּיהוּדָ֑ה (in Judah), וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ (and they spread out) בַּלֶּֽחִי׃ (in Lehi).

10  וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (And said) אִ֣ישׁ (the men) יְהוּדָ֔ה (of Judah), לָמָ֖ה (Why) עֲלִיתֶ֣ם (have you⁺ come up) עָלֵ֑ינוּ (against us)?

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ (And they answered), לֶאֱס֤וֹר (To bind) אֶת־ (-) שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ (Samson). עָלִ֔ינוּ (We have come up) לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת (to do) ל֔וֹ (to him) כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (as) עָ֥שָׂה (he has done) לָֽנוּ׃ (to us).

11  וַיֵּרְד֡וּ (And went down) שְׁלֹשֶׁת֩ (three) אֲלָפִ֨ים (thousand) אִ֜ישׁ (men) מִֽיהוּדָ֗ה (of Judah) אֶל־ (to) סְעִיף֮ (the cleft) סֶ֣לַע (of the rock) עֵיטָם֒ (of Etam), וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (and said) לְשִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן (to Samson), הֲלֹ֤א (Do not) יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ (you know) כִּֽי־ (that) מֹשְׁלִ֥ים (are ruling) בָּ֙נוּ֙ (over us) פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (the Philistines)? וּמַה־ (And what is) זֹּ֖את (this) עָשִׂ֣יתָ (you have done) לָּ֑נוּ (to us)?

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And he said) לָהֶ֔ם (to them), כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ (As) עָ֣שׂוּ (they did) לִ֔י (to me), כֵּ֖ן (so) עָשִׂ֥יתִי (I have done) לָהֶֽם׃ (to them).

12  וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ (And they said) לוֹ֙ (to him), לֶאֱסָרְךָ֣ (To bind you) יָרַ֔דְנוּ (we have come down) לְתִתְּךָ֖ (that we may deliver you) בְּיַד־ (into the hand) פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (of the Philistines).

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (And said) לָהֶם֙ (to them) שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (Samson), הִשָּׁבְע֣וּ (Swear) לִ֔י (to me) פֶּֽן־ (that not) תִּפְגְּע֥וּן (you⁺ will kill) בִּ֖י (me) אַתֶּֽם׃ (yourselves).

13  וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ (And they spoke) ל֣וֹ (to him) לֵאמֹ֗ר (saying), לֹ֚א (No), כִּֽי־ (but) אָסֹ֤ר (binding) נֶֽאֱסָרְךָ֙ (we will bind you) וּנְתַנּ֣וּךָ (and deliver you) בְיָדָ֔ם (into their hands). וְהָמֵ֖ת (And surely we will put you) לֹ֣א (not) נְמִיתֶ֑ךָ (to death). וַיַּאַסְרֻ֗הוּ (And they bound him) בִּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ (with two) עֲבֹתִ֣ים (ropes) חֲדָשִׁ֔ים (new), וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּהוּ (and brought him up) מִן־ (from) הַסָּֽלַע׃ (the rock).

14  הוּא־ (He) בָ֣א (came) עַד־ (to) לֶ֔חִי (Lehi), וּפִלְשִׁתִּ֖ים (and the Philistines) הֵרִ֣יעוּ (came out shouting) לִקְרָאת֑וֹ (against him) וַתִּצְלַ֨ח (and rushed mightily) עָלָ֜יו (upon him) ר֣וּחַ (the Spirit) יְהוָ֗ה (of YHWH), וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה (and became) הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים (the ropes) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that were) עַל־ (on) זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו (his arms) כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ (like flax) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) בָּעֲר֣וּ (is burned) בָאֵ֔שׁ (with the fire), וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ (and broke loose) אֱסוּרָ֖יו (his bonds) מֵעַ֥ל (from) יָדָֽיו׃ (his hands). 15  וַיִּמְצָ֥א (And He found) לְחִֽי־ (a jawbone) חֲמ֖וֹר (of a donkey) טְרִיָּ֑ה (fresh), וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח (and he stretched out) יָדוֹ֙ (his hand) וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ (and took it), וַיַּךְ־ (and killed) בָּ֖הּ (with it) אֶ֥לֶף (a thousand) אִֽישׁ׃ (men). 16  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (Samson),

בִּלְחִ֣י (With the jawbone) הַחֲמ֔וֹר (of a donkey),

חֲמ֖וֹר (a heap) חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם (upon heaps).

בִּלְחִ֣י (With the jawbone) הַחֲמ֔וֹר (of a donkey)

הִכֵּ֖יתִי (I have struck down) אֶ֥לֶף (a thousand) אִֽישׁ׃ (men).

17  וַֽיְהִי֙ (And so it was), כְּכַלֹּת֣וֹ (when he had finished) לְדַבֵּ֔ר (speaking), וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ (that he threw) הַלְּחִ֖י (the jawbone) מִיָּד֑וֹ (from his hand), וַיִּקְרָ֛א (and called) לַמָּק֥וֹם (the place) הַה֖וּא (that) רָ֥מַת (Ramath-) לֶֽחִי׃ (lehi).

18  וַיִּצְמָא֮ (And he became thirsty) מְאֹד֒ (exceedingly), וַיִּקְרָ֤א (and he cried out) אֶל־ (to) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) וַיֹּאמַ֔ר (and said), אַתָּה֙ (You) נָתַ֣תָּ (have given) בְיַֽד־ (by the hand) עַבְדְּךָ֔ (of Your servant) אֶת־ (-) הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה (deliverance) הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה (great) הַזֹּ֑את (this). וְעַתָּה֙ (And) אָמ֣וּת (shall I die) בַּצָּמָ֔א (of thirst) וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י (and fall) בְּיַ֥ד (into the hand) הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃ (of the uncircumcised)?

19  וַיִּבְקַ֨ע (And split) אֱלֹהִ֜ים (God) אֶת־ (-) הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ (the hollow place) אֲשֶׁר־ (that is) בַּלֶּ֗חִי (in Lehi), וַיֵּצְא֨וּ (and came) מִמֶּ֤נּוּ (out) מַ֙יִם֙ (water), וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ (and he drank), וַתָּ֥שָׁב (and returned) רוּח֖וֹ (his spirit), וַיֶּ֑חִי (and he revived). עַל־ (Upon) כֵּ֣ן׀ (thus) קָרָ֣א (he called) שְׁמָ֗הּ (its name) עֵ֤ין (En-) הַקּוֹרֵא֙ (hakkore), אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which is) בַּלֶּ֔חִי (in Lehi) עַ֖ד (to) הַיּ֥וֹם (the day) הַזֶּֽה׃ (this).

20  וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט (And he judged) אֶת־ (-) יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל (Israel) בִּימֵ֥י (in the days) פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (of the Philistines) עֶשְׂרִ֥ים (twenty) שָׁנָֽה׃פ (years).