4. It came about afterward that he fell in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5. So the Philistine lords came up to her and said to her, “Coax him, see where his great strength comes from and by what we may overpower him, so we may bind him to subdue him—then we’ll each of us give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
6. So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me please, where does your great strength come from? How could you be bound to subdue you?”
7. Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have never been dried, then I would be weak and be like any other man.”
8. So the Philistine lords brought up to her seven fresh cords that had never been dried, and she bound him with them,
9. while an ambush was waiting in an inner room. “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” she said to him. But he broke the cords just as a strand of straw snaps when it touches fire. So his strength remained unknown.
10. Delilah said to Samson, “Oh, you deceived me! You lied to me! Now tell me please, how you can be bound?”
11. He told her, “If they only bind me with new ropes never used for work, then I will be weak and be like any other man.”
12. So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Yet while the ambush was waiting in the inner room, he snapped them from his arms like a thread.