So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them.

He seized the leaders of the city, along with some desert thorns and briers; he then “threshed” the men of Succoth with them.

They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous men as his followers.

He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, I will become weak and be just like any other man.”

So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here, Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) But he tore the ropes from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.

The Benjaminites did as instructed. They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives. They went home to their own territory, rebuilt their cities, and settled down.