Judges 16:25-31

16:25 When they really started celebrating, ¹  they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. ²  They made him stand between two pillars. 16:26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple. ³  Then I can lean on them.” 16:27 Now the temple ⁴  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, ⁵  remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge ⁶  against the Philistines for my two eyes!” 16:29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple ⁷  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 ⁸  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. ⁹  16:31 His brothers and all his family ¹⁰  went down and brought him back. ¹¹  They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led ¹²  Israel for twenty years.

[16:25]  ¹ tn Heb “When their heart was good.”

[16:25]  ² tn Heb “before them.”

[16:26]  ³ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house is founded.”

[16:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[16:28]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew has אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה (’adonay yehovih, “Lord Yahweh”).

[16:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “so I can get revenge with one act of vengeance.”

[16:29]  ⁷ tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house was founded.”

[16:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.”

[16:30]  ⁹ tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.”

[16:31]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and all the house of his father.”

[16:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.”

[16:31]  ¹² tn Traditionally, “judged.”