Judges 16:2-12

²People soon found out that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together at the city gate and waited all night. They said to themselves, “When it dawns tomorrow morning, we will kill him when he tries to leave the city.”

³But Samson did not stay there all night. At midnight, he got up. He went to the city gate, he took hold of its two posts, and he lifted it up out of the ground, with its connecting cross bar still attached. He put it on his shoulders and carried it many miles uphill to Hebron.

⁴Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, and started to live with her. She lived in Sorek Valley in the Philistia area.

⁵The Philistine leaders went to her and said, “Find out from Samson what makes him so strong. And find out how we can subdue him and tie him up securely. If you do that, each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

⁶So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong, and tell me how someone can subdue you and tie you up.”

⁷Samson said, “If someone ties me with seven new bowstrings, ones that are not dry yet, I will become as weak as other men.”

⁸So after Delilah told that to the Philistine leaders, they brought seven new bowstrings to Delilah.

⁹Then she hid the men in one of the rooms in her house. Then while Samson was sleeping, she tied him up with the bowstrings. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come here to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as easily as though they were strings that had been singed in a fire. So the Philistines did not find out what made Samson so strong.

¹⁰Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have deceived me and lied to me! Now tell me the truth, how someone can tie you up securely.”

¹¹Samson replied, “If someone ties me with new ropes, ones that have never been used, I will be as weak as other men.”

¹²So again, she told the Philistine leaders, and they came and hid in the room as they had done before. And again, while Samson was sleeping, she took the new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the ropes on his arms as easily as if they were threads.