And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was sorely vexed.
And he told her all his heart, and said to her, "There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my birth: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart."
Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and his strength went from him.
And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson."
THE VALLEY OF SOREK
From a photograph taken by Prof. D. G. Lyon and used by his kind permission.
The valley of Sorek, a narrow gorge at its upper end, broadens out into the lowlands of Judah at its lower end, and here in the foothills overlooking the Philistine country was the home of Samson. It was up this valley that the Philistines often made their frequent raids against Jerusalem and the highlands of Judah. It was here that the battle was fought when Israel was defeated under the leadership of Eli's wicked sons, and "the ark of God was taken." The modern railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem follows this valley.
