Judges 16:26-31

16:26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple. ¹  Then I can lean on them.” 16:27 Now the temple ²  was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain. 16:28 Samson called to the Lord, “O Master, Lord, ³  remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge ⁴  against the Philistines for my two eyes!” 16:29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple ⁵  and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 16:30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard ⁶  and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life. ⁷  16:31 His brothers and all his family ⁸  went down and brought him back. ⁹  They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led ¹⁰  Israel for twenty years.

¹ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house is founded.”

² tn Heb “house.”

³ tn The Hebrew has אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה (’adonay yehovih, “Lord Yahweh”).

⁴ tn Heb “so I can get revenge with one act of vengeance.”

⁵ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house was founded.”

⁶ tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.”

⁷ tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.”

⁸ tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”

⁹ tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”

¹⁰ tn Traditionally, “judged.”