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with his hands. But when it was time for the wedding, going away again, he saw a honeycomb of honey in the mouth of the lion that had been killed by him, and taking it he ate, and he gave also to his parents and to his fellow citizens; and he proposed a riddle to them, saying: From the mouth of the eater came forth food, that is, from the mouth of the lion, and out of the strong instead of bitter came sweetness. And he promised, if they should solve it, to give them thirty linen garments, and thirty changes of clothes; but if they could not, he would demand that many from them. But as they were at a loss and could not find it, they threatened his wife with death if she did not learn the riddle from him; and having learned it, she reported it 56.340 to them, and they, saying it, received it. But Samson was angered. And the father of the bride, being afraid, took her and gave her to his groomsman; but this grieved him more, and taking three hundred foxes, and lighting torches behind them, he released them into the fields of the Philistines; and when he had set fire to their grain fields, they burned the house of the bride with her and her father. Not even when this happened did Samson release his anger, but still made war on them. And they, having arrayed themselves against Israel, were seeking Samson; the Israelites, having bound him, handed him over to the enemies. But he, breaking the bonds, and finding the jawbone of a donkey, killed a thousand men with it. And being thirsty he prayed to God, and water came out of the jawbone, and he drank. From there he went to a harlot in Gaza, and his enemies surrounded him; but he, at midnight taking the gates of the city and putting them on his shoulders, went out. After this Samson fell in love with a certain woman named Delilah, and he took her as a wife. To her the satraps of the Philistines promised one thousand and one hundred pieces of silver, if she could learn from him how he might be easily conquered. And as she tried to learn, at first he deceived her; but finally, as she wore him down, he told her the truth, that if someone should remove his locks of hair, he would become weak. And she, calling the satraps and putting him to sleep, had him shaved, and he became weak. And the Philistines, taking him, blinded him and cast him into the prison. And they were rejoicing, and brought him out of the prison to mock him; but he, groaning bitterly and praying to the Lord to strengthen him, taking hold of the pillars of the house and shaking them, brought down the house upon the satraps and himself and many other people, and more died than those who had died by his hand while he was living. After these things, those from the tribe of Dan marched out and took Laish, and renamed it, and set up a carved idol for worship there. A Levite man, his concubine having become angry with him and gone away to her father's house, went to persuade her back to himself; and taking her, he returned. and on the way he lodged in Gibeah of Benjamin with a certain old man. But the men in Gibeah surrounded that house, seeking the guest, that they might abuse him. The old man was ready to give his virgin daughter to them. But they, taking the concubine, sported with her the whole night. And when it became morning, letting her go they departed. And she, from the abuse, coming to the house where her husband was staying, expired. And that man, going out and finding her dead, divided her into twelve parts, and sent them to the twelve tribes. And they took the event badly, and arming themselves they demanded the men who had abused the woman. And as they would not give them up, they joined in war. And at first they were defeated, and a second time, but in the third engagement they cut down the entire tribe of Benjamin, except for six hundred who escaped. And as the tribe was in danger of being completely destroyed (for these men had no wives, and the sons of Israel had sworn not to give any of their own to them), taking those who had not marched with them against the Benjaminites, they gave their virgins to them, four hundred; but as they were still lacking, a feast being held, they 56.341 permitted them, going out, to seize virgins,

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ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδει γενέσθαι τοὺς γάμους, πάλιν ἀπιὼν, ὁρᾷ κηρίον μέλιτος ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ λέοντος τοῦ ἀνῃρημένου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ λαβὼν ἔφαγε, καὶ ἔδωκε καὶ τοῖς γονεῦσι καὶ τοῖς συμπολίταις αὐτοῦ· καὶ προέτεινεν αὐτοῖς πρόβλημα λέγων· Ἐκ στόματος ἐσθίοντος ἐξῆλθε βρῶσις, τουτέστιν, ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ ἐκ σκληροῦ ἀντὶ τοῦ πικροῦ γλυκύ. Καὶ ὑπέσχετο, εἰ ἐπιλύσειε, δώσειν αὐτοῖς τριάκοντα σινδόνας, καὶ τριάκοντα στολάς· εἰ δὲ μὴ δυνηθεῖεν, ἀπαιτήσειν αὐτοὺς τοσαῦτα. Ὡς δὲ διηπόρουν, καὶ οὐχ εὕρισκον, ἠπείλησαν τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ θάνατον, εἰ μὴ μάθοι παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ αἴνιγμα· ἡ δὲ μαθοῦσα, ἀπήγγειλεν 56.340 αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἰπόντες ἔλαβον. Ὠργίσθη δὲ ὁ Σαμψών. Ὁ δὲ πατὴρ τῆς νύμφης δείσας, λαβὼν αὐτὴν ἔδωκε τῷ νυμφαγωγῷ αὐτοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἐλύπησεν, καὶ λαβὼν τριακοσίους ἀλώπεκας, καὶ λαμπάδας ὄπισθεν αὐτῶν ἐξάψας, ἀφῆκεν εἰς τὰ πεδία τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· ὡς δὲ ἐνεπύρισεν αὐτῶν τὰ σταχυοφόρα πεδία, ἐνέπρησαν ἐκεῖνοι τὴν οἰκίαν τῆς νύμφης μετ' αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς. Οὐδὲ τούτου γενομένου ἐχάλασε τὴν ὀργὴν ὁ Σαμψὼν, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἐπολέμει αὐτοῖς. Οἱ δὲ παραταξάμενοι κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, τὸν Σαμψὼν ἐζήτουν· δήσαντες αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται παρέδωκαν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς. Ὁ δὲ τὰ δεσμὰ διαῤῥήξας, καὶ εὑρὼν σιαγόνα ὄνου, χιλίους ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν αὐτῇ. Καὶ διψήσας ηὔξατο τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς σιαγόνος, καὶ ἔπιεν. Ἦλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς γυναῖκα πόρνην εἰς Γάζαν, καὶ περιεκύκλωσαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἐχθροί· ὁ δὲ κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον λαβὼν τὰς πύλας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ θεὶς ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἐξῆλθεν. Ἠράσθη μετὰ ταῦτα γυναικός τινος ὁ Σαμψὼν ὀνόματι ∆αλιδᾶς, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν εἰς γυναῖκα. Ταύτῃ δὲ ὑπέσχοντο οἱ σατράπαι τῶν ἀλλοφύλων χιλίους καὶ ἑκατὸν ἀργυρίους, εἰ μάθοι παρ' αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἂν εὐκαταγώνιστος γένοιτο. Ὡς δὲ ἐπειρᾶτο μαθεῖν, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον αὐτὴν ἠπάτα· τέλος δὲ, ὡς κατειργάσατο αὐτὸν, εἶπεν αὐτῇ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὅτι ἐάν τις αὐτοῦ περιέλοι τοὺς βοστρύχους, ἀσθενήσει. Ἡ δὲ καλέσασα τοὺς σατράπας, καὶ κοιμήσασα αὐτὸν, ἐποίησε ξυρισθῆναι, καὶ ἠσθένησε. Καὶ λαβόντες αὐτὸν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι, ἐτύφλωσαν καὶ ἐνέβαλον εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον. Οἱ δὲ ηὐφραίνοντο, καὶ ἐξήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ πικρὸν στενάξας, καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθεὶς ὥστε ἐνισχῦσαι αὐτὸν, τῶν κιόνων λαβόμενος τοῦ οἴκου, καὶ διασαλεύσας, κατήνεγκε τὸν οἶκον ἐπὶ τοὺς σατράπας καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἕτερον λαὸν πολὺν, καὶ ἀπέθανον πλείους, ἢ ὅσοι ἀπέθανον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ζῶντος. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιστρατεύουσιν οἱ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς ∆ὰν, καὶ ἔλαβον τὴν Λαϊσὰν, καὶ ἐπωνόμασαν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐκεῖ γλυπτὸν λατρείαν. Ἀνὴρ Λευΐτης, ὀργισθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς παλλακῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπελθούσης εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς, ἀπῄει καταλέξων αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ· καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ἐπανῆλθεν· ἐν δὲ τῇ ὁδῷ κατέλυσεν εἰς Γαβαὰ τὴν Βενιαμὶν παρά τινι πρεσβύτῃ. Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Γαβαὰ περιστάντες τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκείνην, ἐζήτουν τὸν ξένον, ἵνα ἐξυβρίσωσιν εἰς αὐτόν. Ὁ πρεσβύτης ἕτοιμος ἦν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ δοῦναι αὐτοῖς τὴν παρθένον. Οἱ δὲ λαβόντες τὴν παλλακὴν, ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῇ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα. Ὡς δὲ πρωῒ γέγονεν, ἀφέντες αὐτὴν ἀπῆλθον. Ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπηρείας, ἐλθοῦσα παρὰ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἔνθα κατήγετο ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ἐξέψυξεν. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ ἐκεῖνος, καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὴν νεκρὰν, διεῖλεν εἰς δεκαδύο μέρη, καὶ ἔπεμψε ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς. Χαλεπῶς δὲ ἤνεγκαν τὸ γεγονὸς, καὶ ἐξοπλισάμενοι ᾔτουν τοὺς ἐνυβρίσαντας τὸ γύναιον. Ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐδίδοσαν ἐκεῖνοι, συνεκρότησαν πόλεμον. Καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἡττήθησαν, καὶ δεύτερον, ἐν δὲ τῇ τρίτῃ συμβολῇ πᾶσαν τὴν φυλὴν Βενιαμὶν κατέκοψαν, πλὴν ἑξακοσίων τῶν διαφυγόντων. Ὡς δὲ ἐκινδύνευσεν ἡ φυλὴ τελέως ἀπολέσθαι (οὔτε γὰρ εἶχον οὗτοι γυναῖκας, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὤμοσαν ἐξ αὐτῶν μὴ δώσειν αὐτοῖς), ἑλόντες τοὺς μὴ συστρατεύσαντας αὐτοῖς κατὰ τῶν Βενιαμιτῶν, τὰς ἐκείνων παρθένους ἔδωκαν αὐτοῖς τετρακοσίας· ὡς δὲ ἐνέλιπον ἔτι, ἑορτῆς τελουμένης, συν 56.341 εχώρησαν αὐτοῖς ἐξελθοῦσιν ἀφαρπάσαι παρθένους,