Samson a Mighty Man

Once the Israelites had settled in Canaan, and the years passed, they began to forget their promises to God. 

They prayed to the gods of those people who lived near them, but still God did not forget them. They had enemies on their borders and often had to fight to protect their land. 

One very fierce nation, the Philistines, was too strong for them, and ruled over the Israelites for forty years.

One day. God sent an angel to an Israelite named Manoah.

Manoah had been married for many years, but his wife hadn't had any children. 

The angel said to Manoah and his wife; 'You will have a son who will save the Israelites from the Philistines. 

They were amazed to hear this, but delighted to have a son.

When the boy was born, they called him Samson. They let his hair grow long as a sign that he belonged to God in a special way. 

Samson grew up to be a huge, immensely strong man. One day, when he was walking through a vineyard, a lion roared at him. Samson grabbed the lion and killed it with his bare hands.

Samson knew then that God had given him this great strength for the work he had to do. He fought the Philistines whenever he could. 

He killed them in battles and set fire to their crops of com, their vines and olive trees. 

Soon everyone was talking about Samson. The Philistines tried again and again to trap him.

One night, when Samson was in the city of Gaza, the Philistines locked the gates. They thought they had Samson trapped inside and there was no way that he could escape. 

When it was time for Samson to leave, he went to the gates and lifted them off the gate posts. He carried them away on his shoulders, and dropped them on the top of a hill. 

The Philistines were furious, and were determined to find a way to kill Samson. Samson fell in love with a beautiful Philistine girl named Delilah.

The Philistines thought that they could use her against Samson. They promised her a huge sum of money if she could discover the secret of Samson's great strength.

She asked Samson again and again why he was so strong, but he teased her. 'I'll lose my strength if you tie me up with seven new bow strings, he said, and then 'Weave my hair into your loom. 

But, although Delilah tried these things. Samson remained as strong as ever.

'You would tell me the secret if you really loved me, she said; 'When she asked him again. 

Samson grew tired of the questions and, at last, he said; 'My hair has never been cut. This is a sign that I belong to God. He gives me my strength.

That night, when Samson was asleep with his head on Delilah's lap, she quietly called to one of the Philistines waiting outside. 

He crept in, she whispered to him what to do, and the man cut off all Samson's hair. When Samson woke up in the morning, he was no stronger than any other man.

With his strength gone, the Philistines easily overpowered Samson. They put out his eyes, blinding him: they tied him up in chains, and dragged him to their city of Gaza. 

There they put him in prison, making him work the mill to grind corn into flour. The Philistines didn't notice that Samson's hair slowly began to grow again.

After many months, the Philistines held a great feast in their temple dedicated to their god. Dagon. 

They told the people that Dagon had helped them capture Samson. 

As the singing and dancing in praise of Dagon grew louder and wilder, the people called for Samson. 

'Bring him here so we can make fun of him, they shouted.

Samson was led from the prison to the temple. He was chained between two great pillars that held up the roof of the temple, Where the huge crowd of men and women and the Philistines' leaders could see and laugh at the helpless man.

Samson couldn't see, but he could feel the pillars. He said a silent prayer to God. 'Oh God, give me back my strength just once more. 

Let me have my revenge on the Philistines who have blinded me. Let me die with them.

Samson put his huge hands on the pillars and pushed with all his might. He pushed the two pillars over, and the whole temple crashed down, killing the Philistine leaders and thousands of people. 

Samson died in this greatest show of his strength, but he had rescued the Israelites from their hated rulers, the Philistines.


↪ Samson a Mighty Man

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