Samson's Fall

Three thousand men from Judah stand at the mouth of the cave. We have to hand you over, they say. Samson looks at them. Just promise you will not kill me yourselves. They agree, then tie him with two new ropes. The ropes dig into his skin. He lets them lead him down the hill.

At Lehi, the Philistines see Samson coming. They run at him, shouting with joy. But Yahweh’s Spirit rushes onto Samson like a storm. The ropes on his arms go soft as burned thread and fall to the ground. He looks down. A donkey’s jawbone lies in the dirt. He picks it up.

Samson swings the jawbone. Bone meets flesh. He fights and fights, spinning and striking, until a thousand Philistine men lie dead around him on the ground. When the last one falls, Samson drops the bone and stands there, chest heaving, catching his breath.

Judg 15:11