1Samson wente vnto Gasa, & there he sawe an harlot, & laye with her.
2The was it saide vnto the Gasites: Samson is come hither. And they compased him aboute, & caused to laye wayte for him preuely, & watched all the nighte in the gate of ye cite, & all that nighte they helde them styll, & sayde: Abyde, tomorow whan it is lighte, we wyll slaye him.
3But Samson laye vnto mydnighte, then rose he at mydnighte, & toke holde on both ye syde portes of ye gate of the cite, wt both the postes, & lifte them out with the barres, & layed them vpon his shulders, & bare them vp to ye toppe of ye mount ouer agaynst Hebron.
4After this he fell into the loue of a woman by ye broke of Sorek, whose name was Dalila,
5vnto whom the prynces of the Philistynes came vp, and sayde vnto her: Persuade him, and loke wherin he hath soch greate stregth, & how we maye ouercome him, yt we mighte bynde him & subdue him, so wyll we geue the euery man a M. and an C. syluerlinges.
6And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: I praye the tell me, wherin thy greate stregth is, & how thou mightest be bounde to be subdued.
7Samson sayde vnto her: Yf I were bounde with seue roapes of fresh senowes, which are not yet dryed vp, I shulde be weake, and as another man.
8The the prynces of the Philistynes broughte vp vnto her seuen new roapes, which were not yet dryed vp. And she bounde him therwith.
9(But there was wayte layed for him besyde her in the chamber) and she sayde vnto him: The Pilistynes vpon the Samson. Neuertheles he brake the roapes in sunder, eue as a twyned threde breaketh, whan it hath catched the heate of the fyre. And it was not knowne wherin his strength was.
10Then sayde Dalila vnto Samson: beholde, thou hast begyled me & dyssembled with me: tell me yet, wherwithall mayest thou be bounde?
11He answered her: Yf they bounde me with new coardes, wherwith no labor hath bene done, I shulde be feble, & as another man.
12Then toke Dalila new coardes, & bounde him withall, and sayde: The Philistynes vpo the Samson (but there was wayte layed for him in the chamber.) And he brake them from his armes, euen as it had bene a threde.
13Dalila sayde vnto him: Yet hast thou begyled me & dessembled wt me: O tell me yet, wherwithall mightest thou be bounde? He answered her: Yf thou playtest seue hayrie lockes of my heade together in a fyllet,
14and fastenest them in with a nayle (I shulde be weake.) And she saide vnto him: The Philistynes vpo the Samson. But he awaked out of his slepe, & drue out ye playted hayrie lockes with the nale and the fyllet.
15The sayde she vnto him: How cast thou saye yt 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.
16So whan she was euery daye importune vpon him wt her wordes, & wolde not let him haue rest, his soule was faynte euen vnto the death,
17& he shewed her his whole hert, & sayde vnto her: There came neuer rasoure vpon my heade, for I am a Nazaree of God fro my mothers wombe. Yf I were shauen, my strength shulde departe fro me, so that I shulde be weake, and as all other men.