3. Samson said, “That does it. This time when I wreak havoc on the Philistines, I’m blameless.”
6. The Philistines said, “Who did this?”They were told, “Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite who took his bride and gave her to his best man.”The Philistines went up and burned both her and her father to death.
7. Samson then said, “If this is the way you’re going to act, I swear I’ll get even with you. And I’m not quitting till the job’s done!”
8. With that he tore into them, ripping them limb from limb—a huge slaughter. Then he went down and stayed in a cave at Etam Rock.
11. Three companies of men from Judah went down to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines already bully and lord it over us? So what’s going on with you, making things even worse?”He said, “It was tit for tat. I only did to them what they did to me.”
12. They said, “Well, we’ve come down here to tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines.”Samson said, “Just promise not to hurt me.”
13. “We promise,” they said. “We will tie you up and surrender you to them but, believe us, we won’t kill you.” They proceeded to tie him with new ropes and led him up from the Rock.
17. When he finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone. He named that place Ramath Lehi (Jawbone Hill).
20. Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.