Textus Receptus Bibles
Matthew's Bible 1537
| 16:1 | Then went Samson to Gaza, & saw there an whore, and wente in vnto her. |
| 16:2 | And it was told the Gazytes, that Samson was come thether. And they wente aboute and layde awayte for him al nighte in the gate of the cyty, but were styll at the night saying: Tarye tyl the morning that it be day, and then let vs kyl him. |
| 16:3 | And Samson toke his rest tyl midnyght, and arose at midnight and toke the dores of the gate of the cytye, and the two syde postes, and rent them of, barres and all, and put them vpon his shoulders, and caryed them vp to the toppe of an hyll that lyeth before Hebron. |
| 16:4 | And after that he loued a woman, vpon the ryuer of Sorek, called Dalilah, |
| 16:5 | vnto whom came the Lordes of the Philistines, and sayd vnto her: Flatter wyth hym and se wherin hys greate strength lyeth, and by what meane we maye haue power ouer hym, that we may bynde hym, to brynge hym vnder, and we wyll geue euerye man eleuen hundred syluerlynges. |
| 16:6 | And Dalilah sayde to Samson. Oh, tell me where thy great strength lyeth, & yf thou were bounde, wherwith men might constraine the. |
| 16:7 | And Samson sayde vnto her. If men bounde me wyth seuen grene wyththes that were neuer dryed, I shoulde be weake and as another man. |
| 16:8 | And then the Lordes of the Philistines brought her seuen wyththes that were yet grene and neuer dried, and she bound him therwyth. |
| 16:9 | Notwythstandynge she had men lyinge in waite wyth her in the chambre. And she sayde vnto him, the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And he brake the cordes as a stryng of towe breaketh, when it fealeth fyre. And so his strength was not knowen. |
| 16:10 | Then sayde Dalilah to Samson: Se thou hast mocked me and tolde me lyes. Nowe yet tell me I praye the, wherwith thou mighteste be bounde. |
| 16:11 | And he sayde: If I were bounde wyth newe ropes that neuer were occupyed, then shoulde I be weake, and as another man. |
| 16:12 | And Dalilah toke newe ropes and bounde hym therwyth, and sayde vnto hym: the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And there were lyers of wayte in the chamber, and he brake them from of hys armes, as they had bene but a threde. |
| 16:13 | And Dalilah sayde vnto Samson, hetherto thou hast begyled me and tolde me lyes: I praye the yet tell me wherwyth men maye bynde the. And he sayde vnto her. If thou plattedest the seuen lockes of my head with an heare lace |
| 16:14 | and fastnedest them wyth a nayle. And she sayde vnto hym, the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And he awaked out of hys slepe, and plucked and went away wyth the nayle, that was in the plattyng and wyth the heare lace. |
| 16:15 | Then she sayd vnto him: How canst thou say that thou louest me, when thyne hert is not with me: for thou hast mocked me this thre tymes, and haste not tolde, wherin thy great strength lyeth. |
| 16:16 | And as she laye vpon him with her wordes, contynually vexinge of him, his soule was encombred euen vnto the death. |
| 16:17 | And he tolde her all his herte, and sayde vnto her: there neuer came raser nor sheres vpon myne head, for I haue bene and abstayner to God euen from my mothers wombe. If myne heare were cut of, my strength woulde go from me, and I shoulde waxe & be lyke all other men. |
| 16:18 | And when Dalilah sawe that he had tolde her all hys herte, she sent for the Phylystynes, sayinge: come vp yet thys ones, for he hath shewed me all hys herte. Then the Lordes of the Philistines came, and brought the money in their handes. |
| 16:19 | And she made hym slepe vpon her lappe, and sent for a man, and cut of the seuen lockes of hys head, and beganne to vexe hym. But hys strength was gone from hym. |
| 16:20 | And she sayd the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And he awoke out of hys slepe, and thoughte to go oute as at other tymes before and shake hym selfe, and wiste not that the Lord was departed from hym. |
| 16:21 | But the Philistines toke hym and put out his eyes, and brought him doune to Gaza, and bounde hym wyth fetters And he was made to grynde in the pryson house, |
| 16:22 | how be it the heare of his head began to grow agayn, after that he was shorne. |
| 16:23 | Then the Lordes of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solempne offringe vnto Dagon their God, and to reioice: for they sayd, our God hath deliuered Samson oure enemie into oure handes. |
| 16:24 | And when the people sawe hym, they praised their God: for they sayd oure God hath delyuered into our handes oure enemye, that destroied oure countreye and slue manye of vs. |
| 16:25 | And when theyr hertes were merye, they sayd: sende for Samson, and let hym playe for vs. And they sette Samson out of the prisonhouse, and he plaied before them, and they set him betwene the pillers. |
| 16:26 | And Samson sayde vnto the lad, that ledd him by the hande: set me that I maye touche the pyllers that the house stand vpon, and that I maye leane to them. |
| 16:27 | And the house was ful of men and women. And there was al the Lordes of the Philistines. And there were vpon the roufe a thre thousand men and women, that behelde how Samson played. |
| 16:28 | And Samson called vnto the Lorde, and sayde: my Lorde Iehouah thynke vpon me, and strengthen me, at this tyme only o God, that I maye be aduenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. |
| 16:29 | And Samson caughte the two middel pyllers, on which the house stode and on which it was borne vp, the one in hys right hande, and the other in hys lefte, |
| 16:30 | and sayde: my soule dye with the Philistines, and bowed them wyth myght. And the house fell vpon the Lordes, and vpon al the people that were therin. And so the dead which he slewe at his death, were mo then they, which he slew in his lyfe. |
| 16:31 | And then his brethren and all the house of his father came doune and toke him vp, and brought hym & buried him betwene Zarah and Esthaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he iudged Israell twenty yere. |
Matthew's Bible 1537
The Matthew Bible, also known as Matthew's Version, was first published in 1537 by John Rogers, under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew". It combined the New Testament of William Tyndale, and as much of the Old Testament as he had been able to translate before being captured and put to death, with the translations of Myles Coverdale as to the balance of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, except the Apocryphal Prayer of Manasses. It is thus a vital link in the main sequence of English Bible translations.