The Daily Audio Bible

15 But a little time after, when the days of wheat harvest nighed, Samson came, and would visit his wife, and he brought to her a goat kid; and when he would enter into her bed by custom, her father forbade him,

² and said, I guessed that thou haddest hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy friend; but she hath a sister, which is younger and fairer than she, be she [a] wife to thee for her (let her be your wife instead!).

³ To whom Samson answered, From this day forth no blame shall be in me against [the] Philistines, for I shall do evils to you. (To whom Samson answered, From this day forth, none of the Philistines can blame me, though I shall do much evil to you.)

⁴ And he went, and took three hundred foxes, and he joined together their tails to tails, (one to one,) and he bound fire brands in (the) middle of the tails (and he tied torches in the middle of their tails),

⁵ which he kindled with fire, and (then) let them (go), that they should run about hither and thither (so that they would run about here and there); which went at once into the corns of [the] Philistines, by which kindled, both the corns borne now together, and (those) yet standing in the stubble, were (all) burnt, in so much that the flame (also) wasted (the) vineries, and (the) places of (the) olive trees.

⁶ And the Philistines said, Who did this thing? To whom it was said, Samson, the husband of (the) Timnite’s daughter, for he took away Samson’s wife, and gave her to another man. And (so) the Philistines went up, and burnt (up) both the woman and her father.

⁷ To the which Philistines Samson said, Though ye have done this thing, nevertheless yet I shall ask and take vengeance of you, and then I shall rest. (To which Philistines Samson said, Because ye have done this thing, now I shall take vengeance on all of you, and then I shall rest.)

⁸ And he smote them with great wound, so that they wondered, and (they fled so fast, that they) putted the hinder part of the hip on the thigh; and he went down, and dwelled in the den of the stone of Etam. (And he struck them down, hip and thigh, with a great slaughter; and then he went, and lived in the cave in the Rock of Etam.)

⁹ Then the Philistines went up into the land of Judah, and they setted tents in the place, that was called afterward Lehi, that is, a cheek[bone], where their host was spread abroad. (Then the Philistines went up into the land of Judah, and they pitched their tents at the place, that later was called Lehi, that is, Jawbone, where their army was spread out over all the land.)

¹⁰ And men of the lineage of Judah said to them, Why have ye gone up against us? The which answered, We come that we bind Samson (And they answered, We have come so that we can bind up Samson), and yield to him (for) those things the which he [hath] wrought against us.

¹¹ Therefore three thousand of men of Judah went down to the den of the flint of Etam; and they said to Samson, Knowest thou not, that [the] Philistines command to us, that is, they have lordship on us? (And so three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the Rock of Etam; and they said to Samson, Knowest thou not, that the Philistines command, or rule, over us?) Why wouldest thou do this thing to them? To whom he said, As they did to me, so I did to them.

¹² They said, We come to bind thee, and to betake thee into the hands of Philistines. To whom Samson answered, Swear ye, and promise ye to me, that ye slay not me. (And they said to him, We have come to bind thee up, and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. To whom Samson answered, Swear ye, and promise ye to me, that ye shall not kill me.)

¹³ And they said, We shall not slay thee, but we shall betake thee bound to them. And (so) they bound him with two new cords, and took him from the stone of Etam.

¹⁴ And when they had come to the place that is called Cheek[bone], and the Philistines crying high had run (out) to him, the spirit of the Lord felled into him, and as sticks be wont to be wasted at the hot tasting of fire, so and the bonds, with which he was bound, were scattered and loosed. (And when they had come to the place that now is called Lehi, or Jawbone, and the Philistines came running toward him, and shouting, the spirit of the Lord fell upon him, and as sticks be wont to be wasted with the hot tasting of the fire, so the bonds, with which he was bound, were scattered and loosed from off his hands.)

¹⁵ And when he had found a cheek[bone], that is, the nether cheekbone, of an ass, that there lay, he took it, and killed therewith a thousand men; (And when he had found a jawbone, that is, the lower jawbone, of a donkey, that lay there, he took it, and killed a thousand men with it;)

¹⁶ and he said, With the cheek[bone] of an ass, that is, with the nether cheek[bone] of a colt of she-asses, I have done away Philistines, and I have killed therewith a thousand men. (and he said, With the jawbone of a donkey, that is, with the lower jawbone of the colt of a female donkey, I have done away the Philistines, and I have killed a thousand men with it.)

¹⁷ And when he had high cried these words, and had fully ended them, he threw away from his hand the nether cheekbone; and he called the name of that place Ramathlehi, that is to say, the Raising (up) of a cheekbone. (And after that he had sung these words, and had finished them, he threw away the lower jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramathlehi, that is to say, the Raising up of a jawbone.)

¹⁸ And (then) he thirsted greatly, and cried to the Lord, and said, Thou, Lord, hast given into the hand of thy servant this greatest health and victory (Thou, Lord, hast given thy servant this great victory); and lo! I die for thirst, and I shall fall into the hands of uncircumcised men.

¹⁹ Therefore the Lord opened a wang tooth in the cheekbone of the ass, and waters went out thereof, and when he had drunken he refreshed his spirit, and received strengths; therefore the name of that place was called the Well of the inwardly caller of the cheekbone, unto this present day. (And so the Lord opened a molar tooth in the jawbone of the donkey, and water went out of it, and when he had drunk, it refreshed his spirit, and he received strength; and so the name of the spring there in Lehi is called Enhakkore, or the Spring of the Caller, unto this present day).

²⁰ And Samson deemed Israel in the days of [the] Philistines (for) twenty years.

16 Also Samson went into Gaza, and he saw there a woman whore, and he entered to her. (And one day Samson went to Gaza, and he saw a whore-woman there, and he slept with her.)

² And when the Philistines had seen this, and it was published among them, that Samson had entered into the city, they compassed him (about), (and with) the keepers set in the gates of the city; and the Philistines (were) abiding there all that night privily, that in the morrowtide they should kill Samson going out. (And when the Philistines had seen this, and it was published among them, that Samson had come into the city, they surrounded him, and had guards set at the city gates; for the Philistines had decided to secretly wait there all that night, so that in the morning they could kill Samson when he came out.)

³ And Samson slept till to midnight (But Samson stayed only until midnight); and (then) he rose up to go (from) thence, and he took both the closings, or the leaves, of the (city) gate, with the posts and the lock; and he bare those gates upon his shoulders, to the top of the hill that beholdeth Hebron.

⁴ (And) After these things Samson loved a woman that dwelled in the valley of Sorek, and she was called Delilah.

⁵ And the princes of the Philistines came to her, and said, Deceive thou him, and learn thou of him, in what thing he hath so great strength, and how we may overcome him, and torment him when he is bound; the which thing if thou doest, we shall give to thee, each man, a thousand and an hundred pieces of silver. (And the rulers of the Philistines came to her, and said, Deceive thou him, and learn thou from him, by what thing he hath so great strength, and how we can overcome him, and torment him when he is bound; and if thou doest that, each one of us shall give thee a thousand and a hundred pieces of silver.)

⁶ Then Delilah spake to Samson, (and said,) I beseech thee, say thou to me, wherein is thy greatest strength, and what is that thing, with which if thou were bound, thou mayest not break (it)?

⁷ To whom Samson answered, If I be bound with seven cords of moist sinews not yet dry, I shall be (made as) feeble as other men.

⁸ And the princes of [the] Philistines brought to her seven cords, as he had said; with which she bound him,

⁹ while ambushments were hid at her, and abided in a closet the end of the thing. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he brake those bonds, as if a man breaketh a thread of hards (of flax), thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of fire; and (so) it was not yet known wherein his strength was. (while the ambushers were hid with her, and waited in a closet for the end of it all. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he broke those bonds, like a man breaketh a flaxen thread, thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of the fire; and so it was not yet known where his strength lay.)

¹⁰ And Delilah said to Samson, Lo! thou hast scorned me, and thou hast spoken false(ly); nevertheless now show thou to me, with what thing thou shouldest be bound.

¹¹ To whom he answered, If I be bound with new cords, that were not yet in work, I shall be feeble, and like other men (I shall be made as feeble as other men).

¹² With the which Delilah bound him again, and she cried, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! the while ambushments were made ready in a closet (while the ambushers were waiting in the closet). And Samson brake his bonds as (if they were the) threads of (spider) webs.

¹³ And Delilah said again to him, How long shalt thou deceive me, and speak false(ly)? Show thou to me, with what thing thou shalt be bound. To whom Samson answered, he said, If thou pleatest (the) seven gobbets of (the) hair of mine head with a strong bond (To whom Samson answered, and said, If thou pleatest the seven locks of the hair of my head into thy loom),

¹⁴ and fastenest (in)to the earth a nail bound about with these hairs, I shall be (made) feeble. And when Delilah had done this, she said to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he rose from sleep, and he drew out the nail, with the hairs and a strong bond tied thereto. (and tightenest the hair, bound in the loom, with a peg, I shall be made as feeble as other men. And when Delilah had done this, she said to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he arose from sleep, and he drew out the peg, with his hair tightly tied to it, in a strong bond.)

¹⁵ And Delilah said to him, How sayest thou, that thou lovest me, since thine inward affection is not with me? By three times thou hast lied to me, and wouldest not say to me, wherein is thy most strength (where thy great strength lieth).

¹⁶ And when she was dis-easeful to him, and cleaved to him continually by many days, and to him gave no space to rest, his life failed, and was made weary unto the death. (And when she had made his life miserable, and continually cleaved to him for many days, and gave him no time for any rest, his strength, or his resolve, failed, and he was made weary unto the death.)

¹⁷ (And) Then he opened the truth of the thing, and said to her, Iron came never yet upon mine head (No iron hath ever yet touched my head), for I am a Nazarite, that is, hallowed to the Lord, from my mother’s womb; if mine head be shaven, my strength shall go away from me, and I shall fail, and I shall be (made as feeble) as other men.

¹⁸ And she saw that he [had] acknowledged to her all his will, either heart; and she sent to the princes of Philistines, and commanded, Go ye up yet (at) once, for now he hath opened his heart to me. The which went up, the money taken with them that they promised. (And she saw that he had spoken to her with all his heart; and she sent for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, Come ye up at once, for he hath now opened up all his heart to me. And they came to her immediately, bringing the money that they had promised.)

¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees, and to lay his head in her bosom; and (then) she called (for) a barber, and he shaved (the) seven (locks of the) hairs of him; and (then) she began to shove him away, and to put him (off) from her; for at once the strength went away from him.

²⁰ And she said, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he rose (up) from sleep, and said in his soul, I shall go out, as I did before, and I shall shake me from these bonds; and he knew not, that the Lord had gone away from him.

²¹ And when the Philistines had taken him, anon they put out his eyes, and led him bound with chains to Gaza, and they closed him in prison, and made him to grind. (And when the Philistines had taken hold of him, at once they put out his eyes, and led him bound with chains to Gaza, and there they enclosed him in prison, and made him to grind with a wheel.)

²² And then his hairs began to grow again;

²³ and [the] princes of (the) Philistines came together to offer great sacrifices to Dagon, their god, and they made feasts and ate, saying, Our god hath betaken Samson, our enemy, into our hands.

²⁴ And the people seeing also this thing praised their god (And the people seeing this thing also praised their god), and said the same things, (Yea,) Our god hath betaken our adversary into our hands, which did away our land, and killed full many men.

²⁵ And they were glad(dened) by (the) making of feasts, and then when they had eaten, they commanded that Samson should be called, and (to) play before them; the which was led out of (the) prison, and played before them; and they made him stand betwixt two pillars.

²⁶ And Samson said to the boy that governed his steps, Suffer thou me, that I touch the pillars on which all the house standeth (Allow me to touch the pillars on which the whole house standeth), (so) that I (may) be bowed upon those, and rest a little.

²⁷ And the house was full of men and of women, and (all) the princes of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand of men and of women (and also about three thousand men and women), beholding from the roof, and from the solar, (while) Samson (was) playing.

²⁸ And he called inwardly the Lord, and said, My Lord God, have mind on me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, that I venge me of mine enemies, and that I take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes. (And he inwardly called upon the Lord, and said, Lord my God, remember me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, so that I can avenge myself on my enemies, and so that I can now take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes.)

²⁹ And he took both [the] pillars, on which the house stood, and he held the one of those in his right hand, and the tother in his left hand; (And he took hold of both of the pillars, on which the house stood, and he held onto one of them with his right hand, and the other one with his left hand;)

³⁰ and he said, My life die with the(se) Philistines! And when the pillars were shaken (al)together strongly, the house felled upon all the princes, and upon the multitude that was there; and Samson dying killed many more, than he alive had slain before. (and he said, Let me die with these Philistines! And when the pillars were altogether strongly shaken, the house fell on all the rulers, and on all the multitude of people who were there; and in dying, Samson killed many more than he had killed when he was alive.)

³¹ And his brethren and all his kindred came down, and took his body, and they buried it betwixt Zorah and Eshtaol, in the sepulchre of Manoah, his father; and he deemed Israel twenty years (and he had ruled Israel for twenty years).

2 And the third day weddings were made in the Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.

² And Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the weddings.

³ And when wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have not wine.

⁴ And Jesus saith to her, What to me and to thee, woman? mine hour came not yet.

⁵ His mother saith to the ministers, Whatever thing he saith to you, do ye.

⁶ And there were set six stone cans, after the cleansing of the Jews, holding each two or three metretes. [Forsooth there were put six stone pots, after the cleansing of Jews, taking each two or three measures.]

⁷ And Jesus saith to them, Fill ye the pots with water. And they filled them, up to the mouth. [Jesus saith to them, Fill ye the pots with water. And they filled them unto the highest part.]

⁸ And Jesus said to them, Draw ye now, and bear ye to the master of the feast^[a]. And they bare.

⁹ And when the master of the feast had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whereof it was, but the ministers knew that drew the water^[b], the master of the feast calleth the spouse,

¹⁰ and saith to him, Each man setteth first good wine, and when men be filled, then that that is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine into this time. [and saith to him, Each man putteth first good wine, and when men shall be full-filled, then that that is worse; soothly thou hast kept good wine till now.]

¹¹ Jesus did this the beginning of signs in the Cana of Galilee, and showed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

¹² After these things he came down to Capernaum, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and they dwelled there not many days [and they dwelt there not many days].

¹³ And the pask of Jews was nigh, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ And he found in the temple men selling oxen, and sheep, and culvers, and [money-]changers sitting.

¹⁵ And when he had made as it were a scourge of small cords, he drove out all of the temple, and oxen, and sheep^[c]; and he shedded [out] the money of changers, and turned upside-down the boards.

¹⁶ And he said to them that sold culvers, Take away from hence these things, and do not ye make the house of my Father an house of merchandise.

¹⁷ And his disciples had mind, for it was written, The fervent love of thine house hath eaten me [The zeal, or fervour of love, of thine house hath eaten me].

¹⁸ Therefore the Jews answered, and said to him, What token showest thou to us [What sign, or token, showest thou to us], that thou doest these things?

¹⁹ Jesus answered, and said to them, Undo ye this temple, and in three days I shall raise it.

²⁰ Therefore the Jews said to him, In forty and six years this temple was builded, and shalt thou in three days raise it [In forty and six years this temple is built, and thou in three days shalt raise it]?

²¹ But he said of the temple of his body.

²² Therefore when he was risen from death, his disciples had mind, that he said these things of his body [Therefore when he had risen from dead men, his disciples had mind, for he said this thing]; and they believed to the scripture, and to the word that Jesus said.

²³ And when Jesus was at Jerusalem in pask, in the feast day, many believed in his name, seeing his signs that he did [seeing the signs of him which he did].

²⁴ But Jesus trusted not himself to them, for he knew all men;

²⁵ and for it was not need to him, that any man should bear witnessing of man, for he knew, what was in man.

103 A psalm of David. (A song of David.) My soul, bless thou the Lord, and all things that be within me, bless his holy name.

² My soul, bless thou the Lord; and do not thou forget all the yieldings of him. (My soul, bless thou the Lord; and do not thou forget about all his gifts to thee.)

³ Which doeth mercy to all thy wickednesses; which healeth all thy sicknesses. (Who showeth mercy to all thy sins, or all thy wickednesses; who healeth all thy sicknesses.)

⁴ Which again-buyeth thy life from death; which crowneth thee in mercy and merciful doings. (Who redeemeth thy life from death; who crowneth thee with love and merciful doings.)

⁵ Which [ful]filleth thy desire in goods; thy youth shall be renewed as the youth of an eagle. (Who fulfilleth thy desires with good things; thy youth shall be renewed like the youth of an eagle.)

⁶ The Lord doing mercies; and doom, to all men suffering wrong. (The Lord giveth mercy, and justice, to all who suffer wrong.)

⁷ He made his ways known to Moses; his wills to the sons of Israel (his deeds to the Israelites).

⁸ The Lord is a merciful doer, and merciful in will (The Lord is a giver of love, and a giver of mercy); long abiding, and much merciful.

⁹ He shall not be wroth [into] without end; and he shall not threaten [into] without end. (He shall not be angry forever; and he shall not threaten forever.)

¹⁰ He did not to us after our sins; neither he yielded to us after our wickednesses. (He did not do to us what we deserved for our sins; nor did he punish us for all our wickednesses.)

¹¹ For by the highness of heaven from earth; he made strong his mercy on men dreading him. (For as high as the heavens be above the earth, is how strong his love is, for those who fear him/for those who revere him.)

¹² As much as the east is from the west; he made [a]far our wickednesses from us.

¹³ As a father hath mercy on his sons, the Lord had mercy on men dreading him; (Like a father hath love for his sons and daughters, so the Lord hath love for those who fear him/for those who revere him;)

¹⁴ for he knew our making. He bethought that we be dust (He remembered that we be but dust),

¹⁵ a man is as hay; his day[s] shall flower out so as a flower of the field. (for a person’s days be like the hay, or the grass; and he shall flower out like the flowers in the field.)

¹⁶ For the spirit shall pass in him, and it shall not abide; and it shall no more know his place. (For the wind passeth over it, and it shall not remain there long; and then its place shall know it no more.)

¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from without beginning, and till into without end; on men dreading him. And his rightfulness is into the sons of sons; (But the Lord’s love is without beginning, and without end; for those who fear him/for those who revere him. And his righteousness shall never fail the children of their children,)

¹⁸ to them that keep his testament. And be mindful of his commandments; to do those. (yea, they who keep his covenant; and who remember his commandments, and who do them.)

¹⁹ The Lord hath made ready his seat in heaven; and his realm shall be lord of all. (The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven; and he shall rule over all as their King.)

²⁰ Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; ye mighty in virtue, doing his word, to hear the voice of his words. (Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; ye mighty and strong, who do his word, yea, ye who obey him.)

²¹ All virtues of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; ye ministers of him, that do his will. (All the hosts of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; ye who be his servants, who do his will.)

²² All works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, in each place of his lordship (All his creatures, bless ye the Lord, everywhere that he ruleth); my soul, bless thou the Lord.

¹⁷ A man unpatient shall work folly; and a guileful man is odious. (An impatient person will act foolishly; and a deceitful person is odious.)

¹⁸ Little men of wit shall hold folly; and fell men shall abide knowing. (People of little wit, or of low intelligence, shall hold fast to foolishness; but clever people shall gain understanding.)

¹⁹ Evil men shall lie (down) before good men; and unpious men before the gates of just men. (Evil people shall lie down before good people; and the wicked shall bow before the gates of the righteous.)