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Soon after, Samson went to
Gaza. The people heard he was there, and they waited quietly for him
all night, and said, "In the morning we shall kill him."
But Samson arose in the night, and went to the gate of the city, and took
it up, and the posts, and the bar, and carried them upon his shoulders to
the top of a hill near Hebron. What wonderful strength Samson
had! Who gave it to him? God, who gives us all our good
things. And why did God give so much strength to Samson?
Because He had chosen Samson to conquer the Philistines, and to deliver
His people Israel. Samson
had now another wife; her name was Delilah. The Philistines wanted
very much to know what made Samson strong, and they went to Delilah, and
said, "Ask Samson what makes him so strong, and how we can bind him;
and we will each give thee 1100 pieces of silver." Delilah did
not care much for her husband, and she was very fond of money; so she went
to Samson, and asked him to tell her what made him so strong. Samson
did not wish her to know, and he deceived her, and said, "Let them
bind me with seven fresh green withes." Then Delilah told the
Philistines, and they brought the withes, and she bound Samson with them,
and the Philistines waited secretly hid in the room. Then Delilah
cried, "The Philistines are upon thee, Samson;" and Samson broke
the withes directly, and the Philistines could not bind him. Then
Delilah asked Samson again, to tell her what made him so strong; and he
said, "Let them bind me with new ropes." Delilah bound him
with the ropes, and cried again, "The Philistines are upon thee,
Samson," and he broke the ropes like little threads, and escaped
again. Then Delilah said, "Now do not deceive me, tell me the
truth; how shall I bind thee?" He said, "Weave the hair of
my head with the web." When Samson was asleep, Delilah wove his
hair, and fastened it very strongly; then she told him the Philistines
were coming, and he awoke directly, and went away with the pin, and the
beam, and the web. Then Delilah said, "Why hast thou deceived
me these three times? Tell me now where thy great strength
lies?" Samson was tired of his wife's asking him so often; and
he now told her all the truth. He said, "I am a Nazarite to
God! and I have never shaven my head; but, if my hair is cut off, then I
shall become weak like other men." Then Delilah sent to the
Philistines, and said, "Come once again; Samson has told me the
truth; I know now what it is makes him so strong." The
lords of the Philistines were very glad to think that they should soon
have their enemy in their power; and they came directly, and brought money
with them to give Delilah. Then the cruel wife, when Samson was
asleep, called a man, and told him to shave off all Samson's hair; and
when he had finished, Delilah cried, "The Philistines are upon thee,
Samson." Samson arose, but his strength was gone; God had taken
it all away. He could not defend himself now; and his enemies came,
and took him, and put out his eyes, and bound him in chains, and carried
him to Gaza, and made him work hard in the prison there. He
ought not to have told his secret, nor to let his hair be shaved, because
God had commanded that no razor should come on his head. God
punished him by taking away his strength. Delilah was not a kind and
affectionate friend to her husband, but his deceitful wicked enemy. This
world is full of sorrow. We cannot trust to anything in it.
Our friends may forsake us, and become unkind; our health and strength may
be taken away; we may lose all we have, and be left sick, and sorrowful,
and have none to comfort us. Then we ought not to set our affections
on anything here, but put our trust in God; He alone will never forsake
us.
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