Judges 15

1And a while after, when the days of the wheat harvest were at hand, Samson came, meaning to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid of the flock. And when he would have gone into her chamber, as usual, her father would not suffer him, saying:

2I thought thou hadst hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy friend: but she hath a sister, who is younger and fairer than she, take her to wife instead of her.

3And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils.

4And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail to tail, and fastened torches between the tails:

5And setting them on fire he let the foxes go, that they might run about hither and thither. And they presently went into the standing corn of the Philistines. Which being set on fire, both the corn that was already carried together, and that which was yet standing, was all burnt, insomuch, that the flame consumed also the vineyards and the oliveyards.

6Then the Philistines said: Who hath done this thing? And it was answered: Samson, the son in law of the Thamnathite, because he took away his wife, and gave her to another, hath done these things. And the Philistines went up and burnt both the woman and her father.

7But Samson said to them: Although you have done this, yet will I be revenged of you, and then I will be quiet.

8And he made a great slaughter of them, so that in astonishment they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And going down he dwelt in a cavern of the rock Etam.

9Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army was spread abroad.

10And the men of the tribe of Juda said to them: Why are you come up against us? They answered: We are come to bind Samson, and to pay him for what he hath done against us.

11Wherefore three thousand men of Juda went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they did to me, so have I done to them.

12And they said to him: We are come to bind thee, and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me, and promise me that you will not kill me.

13They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock Etam.

14Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines shouting went to meet him, the Spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him: and as flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed.

15And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass, which lay there, catching it up, he slew therewith a thousand men.

16And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt of asses, I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men.

17And when he had ended these words, singing, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone.

18And being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.

19Then the Lord opened a great tooth in the jaw of the ass and waters issued out of it. And when he had drunk them, he refreshed his spirit, and recovered his strength. Therefore the name of that place was called The Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone, until this present day.

20And he judged Israel, in the days of the Philistines, twenty years.

1Post aliquantulum autem temporis, cum dies triticeæ messis instarent, venit Samson, invisere volens uxorem suam, et attulit ei hædum de capris. Cumque cubiculum ejus solito vellet intrare, prohibuit eum pater illius, dicens:

2Putavi quod odisses eam, et ideo tradidi illam amico tuo : sed habet sororem, quæ junior et pulchrior illa est : sit tibi pro ea uxor.

3Cui Samson respondit : Ab hac die non erit culpa in me contra Philisthæos : faciam enim vobis mala.

4Perrexitque et cepit trecentas vulpes, caudasque earum junxit ad caudas, et faces ligavit in medio:

5quas igne succendens, dimisit ut huc illucque discurrerent. Quæ statim perrexerunt in segetes Philisthinorum. Quibus succensis, et comportatæ jam fruges, et adhuc stantes in stipula, concrematæ sunt, in tantum ut vineas quoque et oliveta flamma consumeret.

6Dixeruntque Philisthiim : Quis fecit hanc rem? Quibus dictum est : Samson gener Thamnathæi : quia tulit uxorem ejus, et alteri tradidit, hæc operatus est. Ascenderuntque Philisthiim, et combusserunt tam mulierem quam patrem ejus.

7Quibus ait Samson : Licet hæc feceritis, tamen adhuc ex vobis expetam ultionem, et tunc quiescam.

8Percussitque eos ingenti plaga, ita ut stupentes suram femori imponerent. Et descendens habitavit in spelunca petræ Etam.

9Igitur ascendentes Philisthiim in terram Juda, castrametati sunt in loco, qui postea vocatus est Lechi, id est, Maxilla, ubi eorum effusus est exercitus.

10Dixeruntque ad eos de tribu Juda : Cur ascendistis adversum nos? Qui responderunt : Ut ligemus Samson venimus, et reddamus ei quæ in nos operatus est.

11Descenderunt ergo tria millia virorum de Juda ad specum silicis Etam, dixeruntque ad Samson : Nescis quod Philisthiim imperent nobis? quare hoc facere voluisti? Quibus ille ait : Sicut fecerunt mihi, sic feci eis.

12Ligare, inquiunt, te venimus, et tradere in manus Philisthinorum. Quibus Samson : Jurate, ait, et spondete mihi quod non occidatis me.

13Dixerunt : Non te occidemus, sed vinctum trademus. Ligaveruntque eum duobus novis funibus, et tulerunt eum de petra Etam.

14Qui cum venisset ad locum Maxillæ, et Philisthiim vociferantes occurrissent ei, irruit spiritus Domini in eum : et sicut solent ad odorem ignis lina consumi, ita vincula, quibus ligatus erat, dissipata sunt et soluta.

15Inventamque maxillam, id est, mandibulam asini, quæ jacebat, arripiens interfecit in ea mille viros,

16et ait : In maxilla asini, in mandibula pulli asinarum, delevi eos, et percussi mille viros.

17Cumque hæc verba canens complesset, projecit mandibulam de manu, et vocavit nomen loci illius Ramathlechi, quod interpretatur, Elevatio maxillæ.

18Sitiensque valde, clamavit ad Dominum, et ait : Tu dedisti in manu servi tui salutem hanc maximam atque victoriam : en siti morior, incidamque in manus incircumcisorum.

19Aperuit itaque Dominus molarem dentem in maxilla asini, et egressæ sunt ex eo aquæ. Quibus haustis, refocillavit spiritum, et vires recepit. Idcirco appellatum est nomen loci illius, Fons invocantis de maxilla, usque in præsentem diem.

20Judicavitque Israël in diebus Philisthiim viginti annis.

1καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ' ἡμέρας ἐν ἡμέραις θερισμοῦ πυρῶν καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο Σαμψων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ φέρων ἔριφον αἰγῶν καὶ εἶπεν εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκά μου εἰς τὸν κοιτῶνα καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτήν

2καὶ εἶπεν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῆς εἴπας εἶπα ὅτι μισῶν ἐμίσησας αὐτήν καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτὴν τῷ συνεταίρῳ σου οὐκ ἰδοὺ ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς ἡ νεωτέρα κρείσσων αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἔστω δή σοι ἀντὶ αὐτῆς

3καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Σαμψων ἀθῷός εἰμι τὸ ἅπαξ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ὅτι ἐγὼ ποιῶ μεθ' ὑμῶν κακά

4καὶ ἐπορεύθη Σαμψων καὶ συνέλαβεν τριακοσίας ἀλώπεκας καὶ ἔλαβεν λαμπάδας καὶ συνέδησεν κέρκον πρὸς κέρκον καὶ ἔθηκεν λαμπάδα μίαν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο κέρκων ἐν τῷ μέσῳ

5καὶ ἐξῆψεν πῦρ ἐν ταῖς λαμπάσιν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς τὰ δράγματα τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν τοὺς στάχυας καὶ τὰ προτεθερισμένα ἀπὸ στοιβῆς καὶ ἕως ἑστῶτος καὶ ἕως ἀμπελῶνος καὶ ἐλαίας

6καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τίς ἐποίησεν ταῦτα καὶ εἶπαν Σαμψων ὁ γαμβρὸς τοῦ Θαμναθαίου ὅτι ἔλαβεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν τῷ συνεταίρῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ ἐνεπύρισαν τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς ἐν πυρί

7καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαμψων ἐὰν ποιήσητε οὕτως οὐκ εὐδοκήσω ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκδίκησίν μου ἐξ ἑνὸς καὶ ἑκάστου ὑμῶν ποιήσομαι

8καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ μηρὸν πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ κατέβη καὶ κατῴκει παρὰ τῷ χειμάρρῳ ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ Ηταμ

9καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ παρενεβάλοσαν ἐπὶ τὸν Ιουδαν καὶ ἐξερρίφησαν ἐν Λεχι

10καὶ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ιουδα ἵνα τί ἀνέβητε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι δῆσαι τὸν Σαμψων καὶ ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν

11καὶ κατέβησαν τρεῖς χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐξ Ιουδα ἐπὶ τὴν ὀπὴν τῆς πέτρας Ηταμ καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Σαμψων οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι ἄρχουσιν ἡμῶν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ ἵνα τί ταῦτα ἐποίησας ἡμῖν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαμψων καθὼς ἐποίησαν ἡμῖν οὕτως ἐποίησα αὐτοῖς

12καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ τοῦ δῆσαί σε κατέβημεν καὶ παραδοῦναί σε εἰς χεῖρας ἀλλοφύλων καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαμψων ὀμόσατέ μοι μὴ ἀποκτεῖναί με ὑμεῖς καὶ παράδοτέ με αὐτοῖς μήποτε ἀπαντήσητε ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοί

13καὶ ὤμοσαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες οὐχί ἀλλὰ δεσμῷ δήσομέν σε καὶ παραδώσομέν σε εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν θανάτῳ δὲ οὐ θανατώσομέν σε καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸν δύο καλωδίοις καινοῖς καὶ ἀνήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς πέτρας

14καὶ αὐτὸς ἦλθεν ἕως Σιαγόνος καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἠλάλαξαν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδραμον εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατηύθυνεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν πνεῦμα κυρίου καὶ ἐγένοντο τὰ καλώδια τὰ ἐν τοῖς βραχίοσιν αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ στιππύον ἡνίκα ἂν ὀσφρανθῇ πυρός καὶ διελύθησαν οἱ δεσμοὶ ἀπὸ τῶν βραχιόνων αὐτοῦ

15καὶ εὗρεν σιαγόνα ὄνου ἐρριμμένην ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἐξέτεινεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτῇ χιλίους ἄνδρας

16καὶ εἶπεν Σαμψων ἐν σιαγόνι ὄνου ἐξαλείφων ἐξήλειψα αὐτούς ὅτι ἐν σιαγόνι ὄνου ἐπάταξα χιλίους ἄνδρας

17καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα συνετέλεσεν λαλῶν καὶ ἔρριψεν τὴν σιαγόνα ἀπὸ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον Ἀναίρεσις σιαγόνος

18καὶ ἐδίψησεν σφόδρα καὶ ἐβόησεν πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν σὺ ἔδωκας ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ δούλου σου τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν μεγάλην ταύτην καὶ νῦν ἀποθανοῦμαι ἐν δίψει καὶ ἐμπεσοῦμαι ἐν χειρὶ τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων

19καὶ ἤνοιξεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ τραῦμα τῆς σιαγόνος καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὕδατα καὶ ἔπιεν καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνέψυξεν διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Πηγὴ ἐπίκλητος σιαγόνος ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης

20καὶ ἔκρινεν τὸν Ισραηλ ἐν ἡμέραις ἀλλοφύλων ἔτη εἴκοσι