Once upon a time, in a distant land, there lived a very strong man named Samson. Samson was so strong that he could defeat lions with his bare hands. But why was Samson so strong? This was because God had given him a special power. But this power had a secret: Samson was not allowed to cut his hair. As long as his hair remained long, he was strong as a bear.
One day, Samson met a woman named Delilah. Samson liked Delilah very much and wanted to spend a lot of time with her. But the wicked Philistines, who did not like Samson, had a plan. They went to Delilah and said, “Find out why Samson is so strong. Then we will give you a lot of money.”
Delilah wanted the money, so she asked Samson, “Why are you so strong? What makes you so special?”
At first, Samson didn’t tell her the truth. He said things that were not true in order to deceive her. But Delilah did not give up. Again and again she asked: “Please, please, tell me!”
Finally, Samson gave in. He said, “I’m strong because my hair wasn’t cut. If they are cut, I lose my strength.”
Delilah knew that this was the truth. So she waited until Samson was asleep. Then she called the Philistines, and they cut off Samson’s hair. Suddenly, Samson was no longer strong.
The Philistines took him captive and made his life difficult. But Samson prayed to God and said, “Please, give me my strength back one last time.”
God heard Samson’s prayer. Samson’s hair had grown back in the meantime, and so he became strong again. He struck the pillars of a large house, and the house collapsed. This is how Samson defeated his enemies.
What we can learn:
God gives us special gifts and abilities. We should use them wisely and always remain honest. God hears our prayers and helps us when we really need Him.
Bible passage
The story of Samson and Delilah: Power and Betrayal is found in Judges 16:4-30. Here are the relevant verses from the Schlachter 2000 translation:
“Afterwards he became fond of a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. Then the princes of the Philistines went up to her and said to her, “Persuade him, and see what his great strength is, and how we can get him to bind and conquer him, and we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” And Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what your great power consists of, and what must bind you to subdue you.” Samson said to her, “If I am restrained with seven fresh sinews that have not dried up, I will become weak and like a different person. Then they brought the princess of the Philistines seven fresh sinews that were not yet dry; and she bound him with it. She had an ambush sitting in her room; and she said to him, “Philistines over you, Samson!” Then he tore the sinews as a string tears when it feels through the fire. Thus the cause of his power was not revealed. Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have deceived me and told lies to me. Tell me what you must be bound with! He said to her, “If I am bound with new cords, which have never been used before, I will become weak and like a different man.” Then Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “Philistines upon you, Samson!” But they sat in ambush in the room. Then he tore them from his arms like a thread. And Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me what you must be bound with! He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with a weft and fasten them with a stake, I will be weak and like another man.” Then she made the seven locks of his head firm in the fold and stake, and said to him, “Philistines over you, Samson! And when he awoke from sleep, he tore out the peg and the weft. Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you, when your heart is not with me?'” Three times now you have deceived me and not told me what your great strength consists of! And when it was a long time for her to torment and urge him with her words, his soul became impatient unto death, and he made his whole heart known to her, and said to her, “No razor-knife has ever passed over my head, for I am a consecrated god from my mother’s womb then my strength would leave me, I would become weak and like all other people. When Delilah saw that he had made known all his heart to her, she sent and sent for the princes of the Philistines, saying, “Come up now, for he has made known all his heart to me.” Then the princes of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money with their hands. And she let him sleep on her knees, and called a man who was shaking the seven locks of his head; and she began to torment him, and his strength departed from him. And she said, “Philistines upon you, Samson! Then he awoke from his sleep and thought, “I will go out like the others and tear myself away.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and led him down to Gaza, and bound him with two iron fetters; and he had to grind in prison. But the hair of his head began to grow again as soon as it was shaved. Then the princes of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and to celebrate a feast of joy. And they said, “Our God has given our enemy Samson into our hands.” When the people saw him, they praised their God, saying, “Our God has given our enemy into our hands, he who devastated our land and who slew many of us.” And it came to pass, when their hearts were of good cheer, that they said, “Call Samson to entertain us.” Then they called Samson out of prison, and he amused them; and they put him between the pillars. But Samson said to the boy who led him by the hand, “Let me touch the pillars on which the house rests, and lean against them.” And the house was full of men and women, and all the princes of the Philistines were there; and on the roof were about 3,000 men and women amusing Samson. But Samson cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord, Lord, remember me, and strengthen me only this time, O God, that I may take revenge on the Philistines because of my two eyes.” And Samson embraced the two central pillars on which the house rested, one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, “Let my soul die with the Philistines.” And he writhed with power; then the house fell on the princes and on all the people who were in it. And there were more deaths that he killed in his death than he had killed in his life.”
