Samson Loses His Strength

Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah. But Delilah was not a good person. The Philistine bad guys came to her and said, 'We'll give you lots and LOTS of money if you find out why Samson is so strong.'

Delilah wanted the money, so she asked Samson, 'What makes you so strong?'

Samson didn't tell her the truth at first. He said, 'If you tie me with special bowstrings, I'll be weak.' So while he was sleeping, Delilah tied him up. 'Samson! The Philistines are here!' she yelled.

But Samson broke the strings easily! He had lied to her.

Delilah kept asking and asking, day after day. 'Tell me! Tell me!' She nagged him SO much that Samson got tired of it.

Finally, Samson told her the REAL secret. 'I've never cut my hair because I'm special to God. If someone cuts my hair, I'll lose my strength.'

Delilah sent a message to the bad guys: 'Come back! He told me the secret!'

While Samson was sleeping on her lap, someone came and cut off all his hair. Then Delilah shouted, 'Samson! The Philistines are here!'

Samson woke up and tried to fight like before. But something was VERY wrong. His strength was GONE! The Bible says the saddest thing: 'He did not know that the Lord had left him.'

The Philistines grabbed Samson. They hurt his eyes so he couldn't see. They put chains on him and made him work like an animal, pushing a big wheel to grind grain.

Samson was so sad. He had stopped obeying God. He told God's secret. Now he was blind and weak and a prisoner.

But guess what? His hair started growing back! Maybe God wasn't done with Samson yet...