THE DEATH OF SAMSON.

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, andbrought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass;and he did grind in the prison house.

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he wasshaven.

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together forto offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice:for they said, Our God hath delivered Samson our enemy into ourhand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god: forthey said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, andthe destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it cameto pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call forSamson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson outof the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set himbetween the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held himby the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon thehouse standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was fullof men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines werethere; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men andwomen, that beheld while Samson made sport.

And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God,remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, onlythis once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of thePhilistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the twomiddle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it wasborne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other withhis left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. Andhe bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon thelords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the deadwhich he slew at his death were more than they which he slew inhis life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down,and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorahand Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And hejudged Israel twenty years.—Judges xvi; 21-31