SAMSON AND DELILAH
At a time when Philistines ruled the Israelites, a messenger of God approached to the wife of a man called Manoah, and said " You will give birth soon, to a son. No razor must touch his head for he will consecrated to God, and he shall begin deliver Israel from the power of the Philistines. "
In due course a son was born to them, and they called him Samson.
Samson grew up to be tall and enormously strong. On his way to visit a Philistine woman, he killed a lion with his bare hands.
Samson invited thirty Philistines to his wedding feast. He gave them a riddle and would give them each a fine linen shawl and a handsome robe, if they could answer his riddle. The Philistines threatened Samson's wife, saying " Find out the answer, or we shall burn down your house and you in it. "
Enraged, Samson went to Ashkelon, a Phlistine city. He killed thitry citizens, using their money to buy the promised shawls and robes because they could answer his riddle. Samson returned to his father's house, forsaking the girl who had betrayed him.
When Samson returned to her, she had married one of his thirty companions. He resolved to be avenged on the whole Philistine nation.
He caught three hundred foxes, tied them together in couples by their tails and bound a lighted torch to each pair of tails. The animals, maddened by terror, ran crazily all over the countryside, setting fire to the crops, olive trees and vineyards.
Samson attacked the Philistine single-handed routed them, killing a large number. Yhen Samson withdrew to his own country. The Philistines pursued him there. His countrymen resolved to give Samson up. They handed him over bound with two new ropes. The Philistines shouted with triump. Samson snapped the ropes, and snatching up the jawbone of an ass which lay nearby, he killed a thousands Philistines.
Samson's downfall was brought about by a woman. He fell with a woman called Delilah.
The Philistine chieftains promised that, if she could discover the secret of his strength and he could be mastered, they will give her a great quantity of silver.
After telling lies Delila several time at last Samson told her his secret: " If may hair and beard are cut off, I shall be like any other man. "
This time Delilah knew that he was telling her the truth.
A Philistine cut away Samson's hair and beard carefully with shears and razor when he slept. They stabbed out his eyes and dragged him to their city of Gaza. There he was loaded with chains and made to grind corn in the prison. But his hair grew quickly again, and, as it grew longer, his strength returned.
There came a day when the Philistines held a great festival in honour oftheir go, Dagon. The temple was crowded. All the rulers and great men of Philistia were there, and there were even three thousands people on the roof. They shouted for Samson to be brought to the temple so that they could mock hium. When he was led in, they laughed and jeered at him. But all his strength had returned. He told the boy who led him to guide him to the pillars that supported the roof.
Samson shouted aloud: " We shall die to-gether " Then he pushed the pillars. The jeers and laughter of the Philistines turned to silence, then to moans and cries of fear. The pillars trembled. They bent and broke. The roof crushed on those below, killing all within the temple. Samson killed more people at his death than he he had in the whole of his life.
