Judges 16:23–30

²³Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to ^aDagon their god and to be glad; and they said,

“Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.”

²⁴Then the people saw him and ^apraised their god, for they said,

“Our god has given our enemy into our hands,

Even the destroyer of our country,

Who has slain many of us.”

²⁵So it happened when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may amuse us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he ¹entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars.

²⁶Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house is established, that I may lean against them.”

²⁷Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.

Samson’s Revenge

^28aThen Samson called to Yahweh and said, “O Lord Yahweh, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once ^bbe avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

²⁹Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house was established and supported himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.

³⁰And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he bent with his strength so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he put to death by his death were more than those whom he put to death in his life.