Judges 16

¹ Samson go Philistine city of Gaza one day, where he con meet a prostitute and follow her to bed.

² The people of Gaza find out say Samson dey there, so dem surround the place and dem wait for him all night long for the city gate. Dem dey quiet all night, dem dey think to themselves. “We go wait until day break, and then we go kill him.”

³ But na till midnight Samson stay for bed. Then he stand up and con take hold of the city gate and pull am up- doors, posts, lock, and all. He put them on top him shoulders and carry all of them go top of the hill wey dey near Hebron.

⁴ After this, Samson fall in love with a woman wey her name na Delilah, wey dey live for the Valley of Sorek.

⁵ The five kings of Philistine go meet her and talk say, “Make you trick Samson to tell you why he dey so strong and how we fit overpower him, tie him up, and make him dey helpless. Each one of us go give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”

⁶ Naso Delilah tell Samson say, “Abeg tell me wetin make you dey so strong. If someone wan tie you up and make dey dey helpless, how e fit do am?”

⁷ Samson answer say, “If dem tie me up with seven new bowstrings wey never dry, I go dey weak like anybody else.”

⁸ Naso the Philistines Kings bring seven new bowstrings wey never dry out for Delilah, and she con tie Samson up.

⁹ She get some men wey dey wait for the other room, naso she shout say, “Samson! The Philistines dey come!” but he break the bowstring just as thread dey break when fire catch am. So dem still no know the secret of him strength.

¹⁰ Delilah tell Samson say, “Look, you don dey make fool of me and you no dey tell me the truth. Abeg tell me how person fit tie you up.”

¹¹ He answer say, “If dem tie me up with new ropes wey dem never use, I go dey weak as anybody else.”

¹² Naso Delilah get some new ropes and tie him up. Then she con shout say, “Samson! The Philistines dey come!” The men dey wait for the other room. But he break the rope commot from him hand like thread.

¹³ Delilah tell Samson say, “You still dey make fool of me and you no tell me the truth. Make you tell me how person fit tie you up.” He answer say, “If you weave my seven locks of hair into a loom, and tighten am with pin. I go dey weak like anybody else.”

¹⁴ Delilah con make him sleep, take him seven locks of hair, and use loom weave them. She make am dey tight with pin and shout say, “Samson! The Philistines dey come!” but he wake up and pull him hair loose from the loom.

¹⁵ So she tell him say, “How you fit talk say you love me, when you no mean am? You don make fool of me three times, and still you never tell me wetin dey make you strong.”

¹⁶ She continue to dey ask, day after day. He get sick and tire for her to dey complain about am

¹⁷ so tey he tell her the truth at last. He talk say, “Dem never cut my hair. Dem don dedicate me to God as Nazirite from the time wey dem born me. If dem cut my hair, I go lose my strength and I go dey weak like anybody else.”

¹⁸ When Delilah know say he don tell her the truth, she send message to kings of Philistines and talk say, “Make una come back just one more time. He don tell me the truth.” Then dem come and bring the money with them.

¹⁹ Delilah con fool Samson to sleep for her lap and call a man, wey cut off seven locks of Samson hair. She start to dey torment him, because he don lose him strength.

²⁰ She con shout, “Samson! The Philistines dey come!” he wake and think say, “I go loose myself and go free, as I dey always do.” He no know say God don leave him.

²¹ The Philistines capture him, dem commot him eyes. Dem take him go Gaza, dem chain him with bronze chains, and dem make him work for grinding machine in the prison.

²² But him hair start to dey grow again.

²³ The kings of Philistine go meet together to celebrate and dem offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. Dem sing say, “Our god don give us victory over our enemy Samson!”

²⁴ Dem dey enjoy themselves, so dem say, “Call Samson, make he come entertain us!” When dem bring Samson out of the prison, dem make him entertain them and dem make him stand between the pillars.

²⁵ When the people con see him, dem sing praises to their god: “Our god don give us victory on top our enemy, wey destroy our land and kill plenty of us!”

²⁶ Samson tell the boy wey dey lead him by hand say, “Make I touch the pillar wey hold up the building. I wan rest on them.”

²⁷ Na men and women full the building. Na all the five Philistine kings dey for there, and na about 3,000 men and women dey for there on top the roof, wey dey watch Samson dey entertain them.

²⁸ Then Samson pray say, “Almighty God, abeg make you remember me; abeg, God, give me strength just for one more time, so that I fit take revenge from the Philistine wey commot my two eyes with this one blow.”

²⁹ Naso Samson take hold of the two middle pillars wey dey hold up the building, he dey put one hand on each pillar, he con push them

³⁰ And shout say, “Make I die with the Philistines!” He con push with all him power, and the building con fall down on top the 5 kings and on top everybody else. Samson kill plenty people at him death pass wetin he don kill during him life.

³¹ Him brothers and the rest of him family come get him body. Dem take him back and dem bury him between Zorah and Eshtaol for the grave of him papa Manoah. Na for 40 years he don be Israel leader.