After this, Samson loved a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Valley of Sorek.
Then the lords of the Philistines came up to Delilah, and said,
"Trick Samson, and see why he is so strong, and how we can defeat him and bind him so that he is no more.
Each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver."
So Delilah said to Samson,
"Tell me why you are so strong. How can you be bound so that you can do nothing? "
Samson said unto her,
If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
So the lords of the Philistines brought up to Delilah seven fresh arrows that had not been dried, and they bound Samson with them.
Then Delilah hid some of the people in another room, and she cried out,
"Samson! Here are the Philistines! "
But Samson broke the ropes like a thread that breaks when it comes into the fire. So they still don't know the secret of his strength.
Then Delilah said to Samson,
"You have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how to bind. "
Samson said to Delilah,
"If they tie me with new ropes that have never been used, I will be as weak as anyone."
So Delilah took a new rope and tied it to Samson. Then he shouted,
"Samson! Here are the Philistines. "
People were waiting there in another room but he broke the ropes like string.
Then Delilah said to Samson,
"You have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me the truth how to bind. "
Samson said to Delilah,
"If you tie the seven locks of my hair and tie them with a bandage, I will be as weak as anyone."
Then Delilah made Samson sleep, and she bound the seven strands of his hair.
He tightened it with a whip and then he shouted,
"Samson! Here are the Philistines! "
But he got up and pulled his hair out of the basket.
So Delilah said to him,
"Why do you say, 'You love me,' but don't? You have fooled me three times and you still haven't told me why you are so strong. "
Every day she asked Samson, and Samson was weary of hearing her.
Finally he told Delilah the truth.
"My hair is not clean at all," he said, "because I was dedicated to God as a Nazarite even though I was in my mother's womb. If I cut my hair, I would lose strength and become weak like anyone else. "
When Delilah was sure that Samson had told the truth, she sent to the lords of the Philistines, saying, Return, for he has told the truth.
Then they returned and brought money. And Delilah made him sleep on her lap; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head.
Then he hurt Samson, but he was not strong enough.
Then she shouted, "Samson! Here are the Philistines. "
Samson wakes up and still hopes he can survive and escape. He did not know that the Lord had forsaken him. The Philistines seized him and put out his eyes.
They took him to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains. He was made a miller there in prison. But his hair was growing back.