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1. Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. He said to her father, "I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!" But her father would not let him enter.
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1. But it came to pass H1961 within a while H4480 H3117 after , in the time H3117 of wheat H2406 harvest H7105 , that Samson H8123 visited H6485 H853 his wife H802 with a kid H1423 H5795 ; and he said H559 , I will go in H935 to H413 my wife H802 into the chamber H2315 . But her father H1 would not H3808 suffer H5414 him to go in H935 .
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2. Her father said, "I really thought you absolutely despised her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!"
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2. And her father H1 said H559 , I verily thought H559 H559 that H3588 thou hadst utterly hated H8130 H8130 her ; therefore I gave H5414 her to thy companion H4828 : is not H3808 her younger H6996 sister H269 fairer H2896 than H4480 she? take H1961 her , I pray thee H4994 , instead H8478 of her.
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3. Samson said to them, "This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!"
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3. And Samson H8123 said H559 concerning them, Now H6471 shall I be more blameless H5352 than the Philistines H4480 H6430 , though H3588 I H589 do H6213 H5973 them a displeasure H7451 .
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4. Samson went and captured three hundred jackals and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair.
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4. And Samson H8123 went H1980 and caught H3920 three H7969 hundred H3967 foxes H7776 , and took H3947 firebrands H3940 , and turned H6437 tail H2180 to H413 tail H2180 , and put H7760 a H259 firebrand H3940 in the midst H8432 between H996 two H8147 tails H2180 .
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5. He lit the torches and set the jackals loose in the Philistines' standing grain. He burned up the grain heaps and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.
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5. And when he had set H1197 the brands H3940 on fire H784 , he let them go H7971 into the standing corn H7054 of the Philistines H6430 , and burnt up H1197 both the shocks H4480 H1430 , and also H5704 the standing corn H7054 , with H5704 the vineyards H3754 and olives H2132 .
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6. The Philistines asked, "Who did this?" They were told, "Samson, the Timnite's son-in-law, because the Timnite took Samson's bride and gave her to his best man." So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father.
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6. Then the Philistines H6430 said H559 , Who H4310 hath done H6213 this H2063 ? And they answered H559 , Samson H8123 , the son H2860 -in-law of the Timnite H8554 , because H3588 he had taken H3947 H853 his wife H802 , and given H5414 her to his companion H4828 . And the Philistines H6430 came up H5927 , and burnt H8313 her and her father H1 with fire H784 .
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7. Samson said to them, "Because you did this, I will get revenge against you before I quit fighting."
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7. And Samson H8123 said H559 unto them, Though H518 ye have done H6213 this H2063 , yet H3588 H518 will I be avenged H5358 of you , and after that H310 I will cease H2308 .
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8. He struck them down and defeated them. Then he went down and lived for a time in the cave in the cliff of Etam.
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8. And he smote H5221 them hip H7785 and H5921 thigh H3409 with a great H1419 slaughter H4347 : and he went down H3381 and dwelt H3427 in the top H5585 of the rock H5553 Etam H5862 .
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9. The Philistines went up and invaded Judah. They arrayed themselves for battle in Lehi.
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9. Then the Philistines H6430 went up H5927 , and pitched H2583 in Judah H3063 , and spread themselves H5203 in Lehi H3896 .
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10. The men of Judah said, "Why are you attacking us?" The Philistines said, "We have come up to take Samson prisoner so we can do to him what he has done to us."
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10. And the men H376 of Judah H3063 said H559 , Why H4100 are ye come up H5927 against H5921 us? And they answered H559 , To bind H631 H853 Samson H8123 are we come up H5927 , to do H6213 to him as H834 he hath done H6213 to us.
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11. Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?" He said to them, "I have only done to them what they have done to me."
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11. Then three H7969 thousand H505 men H376 of Judah H4480 H3063 went H3381 to H413 the top H5585 of the rock H5553 Etam H5862 , and said H559 to Samson H8123 , Knowest H3045 thou not H3808 that H3588 the Philistines H6430 are rulers H4910 over us? what H4100 is this H2063 that thou hast done H6213 unto us? And he said H559 unto them, As H834 they did H6213 unto me, so H3651 have I done H6213 unto them.
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12. They said to him, "We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said to them, "Promise me you will not kill me."
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12. And they said H559 unto him , We are come down H3381 to bind H631 thee , that we may deliver H5414 thee into the hand H3027 of the Philistines H6430 . And Samson H8123 said H559 unto them, Swear H7650 unto me, that H6435 ye will not fall H6293 upon me yourselves H859 .
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13. They said to him, "We promise! We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you." They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff.
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13. And they spoke H559 unto him, saying H559 , No H3808 ; but H3588 we will bind thee fast H631 H631 , and deliver H5414 thee into their hand H3027 : but surely we will not kill H4191 H3808 H4191 thee . And they bound H631 him with two H8147 new H2319 cords H5688 , and brought him up H5927 from H4480 the rock H5553 .
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14. When he arrived in Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they approached him. But the LORD's spirit empowered him. The ropes around his arms were like flax dissolving in fire, and they melted away from his hands.
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14. And when he H1931 came H935 unto H5704 Lehi H3896 , the Philistines H6430 shouted H7321 against H7125 him : and the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came mightily H6743 upon H5921 him , and the cords H5688 that H834 were upon H5921 his arms H2220 became H1961 as flax H6593 that H834 was burnt H1197 with fire H784 , and his bands H612 loosed H4549 from off H4480 H5921 his hands H3027 .
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15. He happened to see a solid jawbone of a donkey. He grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
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15. And he found H4672 a new H2961 jawbone H3895 of an ass H2543 , and put forth H7971 his hand H3027 , and took H3947 it , and slew H5221 a thousand H505 men H376 therewith.
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16. Samson then said, "With the jawbone of a donkey I have left them in heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men!"
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16. And Samson H8123 said H559 , With the jawbone H3895 of an ass H2543 , heaps upon heaps H2565 H2565 , with the jaw H3895 of an ass H2543 have I slain H5221 a thousand H505 men H376 .
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17. When he finished speaking, he threw the jawbone down and named that place Ramath Lehi.
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17. And it came to pass H1961 , when he had made an end H3615 of speaking H1696 , that he cast away H7993 the jawbone H3895 out of his hand H4480 H3027 , and called H7121 that H1931 place H4725 Ramath H7437 -lehi.
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18. He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the LORD and said, "You have given your servant this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into hands of the Philistines?"
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18. And he was sore athirst H6770 H3966 , and called H7121 on H413 the LORD H3068 , and said H559 , Thou H859 hast given H5414 H853 this H2063 great H1419 deliverance H8668 into the hand H3027 of thy servant H5650 : and now H6258 shall I die H4191 for thirst H6772 , and fall H5307 into the hand H3027 of the uncircumcised H6189 ?
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19. So God split open the basin at Lehi and water flowed out from it. When he took a drink, his strength was restored and he revived. For this reason he named the spring En Hakkore. It remains in Lehi to this very day.
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19. But God H430 cleaved H1234 H853 a hollow place H4388 that H834 was in the jaw H3895 , and there came H3318 water H4325 therefrom H4480 ; and when he had drunk H8354 , his spirit H7307 came again H7725 , and he revived H2421 : wherefore H5921 H3651 he called H7121 the name H8034 thereof En H5875 -hakkore, which H834 is in Lehi H3896 unto H5704 this H2088 day H3117 .
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20. Samson led Israel for twenty years during the days of Philistine prominence.
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20. And he judged H8199 H853 Israel H3478 in the days H3117 of the Philistines H6430 twenty H6242 years H8141 .
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