SAMSON CARRIES OFF THE GATES OF GAZA. 237

Samson was in the city, and they surrounded him, intending to kill him in the morning. Samson however rose in the night, and taking the doors of the

gate, with the posts thereof, and the bolt, he carried them up to the top of the hill that looketh towards Hebron.

R

Notwithstanding that this escape should have taught him his danger, he was still led into a snare that proved his ruin. He was induced to confess to Delila, a Philistine woman, the secret of his great strength: "The razor," he said to her, "hath never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite, that is to say, consecrated to God from my mother's womb: If my head be shaven, my strength shall depart from me, and I shall become like other men." This was done as he slept. The Philistines now seized upon him, carried him in chains to Gaza, put out his eyes, and made

DAGON.

him grind flour in the prison. Soon after this, the princes of the Philistines assembled to offer great sacrifices to their god Dagon; and they praised him, saying: "Our god hath delivered our enemy Samson into our hands." The people also praised

Dagon in the same way.

In the midst of their rejoicings there was a call for Samson to be brought out before them. He was accordingly brought out of prison, and played before them, and they made him stand between two pillars And he said to the lad that guided his steps: "Suffer me to touch the pillars which support the whole house, and let me lean upon them, and rest a little." Now the house was full of men and women, and all the princes of the Philistines were there. Moreover, about hree thousand persons of both sexes from the roof and e higher part of the house, were beholding Samson's

DEATH OF SAMSON.

239

play. But he called upon the Lord, saying: "O Lord God, remember me, and restore to me now my former strength, O my God, that I may revenge myself on my

enemies, and for the loss of my two eyes I may take one revenge." And laying hold on both the pillars on which the house rested, and holding the one with his

"Let

right hand, and the other with his left, he said: me die with the Philistines." And when he had strongly shook the pillars, the house fell upon all the princes, and the rest of the multitude that was there: and he killed many more at his death, than he had killed before in his life. And his brethren and all his kindred, going down took his body, and buried it between Saraa and Esthaol in the burying-place of his father Manue.

THE HISTORY OF RUTH.

About B.C. 1190.

§ 55. Ruth returns with Noemi.

IN the days of one of the judges of Israel, a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and that of his wife Noemi. Elimelech died, and his two sons, so that Noemi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpha. Word now reached her that God had given rest to Israel, and this news induced her to make up her mind to return back to Bethlehem. She therefore called her two daughters-in-law, and spoke to them that they should return to their own families, and seek for other husbands. But they said to her: "We will go with thee to thy people." Noemi said: "Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you; for I am grieved the

RUTH AND NOEMI.

241

more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me." Orpha now kissed her motherin-law, and returned. But Ruth would not leave her,

saying: "Be not against me to desire that I should depart and leave thee: whithersoever thou wilt go, I will go: where thou shalt dwell, I will dwell also.