<P> Later, Samson travels to Gaza, where he stays at a harlot's house . His enemies wait at the gate of the city to ambush him, but he tears the gate from its very hinges and frame and carries it to "the hill that is in front of Hebron". </P> <P> He then falls in love with Delilah in the valley of Sorek . The Philistines approach Delilah and induce her with 1,100 silver coins to find the secret of Samson's strength so that they can capture their enemy, but Samson refuses to reveal the secret and teases her, telling her that he will lose his strength if he is bound with fresh bowstrings . She does so while he sleeps, but when he wakes up he snaps the strings . She persists, and he tells her that he can be bound with new ropes . She ties him up with new ropes while he sleeps, and he snaps them, too . She asks again, and he says that he can be bound if his locks are woven into a weaver's loom . She weaves them into a loom, but he simply destroys the entire loom and carries it off when he wakes . </P> <P> Delilah, however, persists and Samson finally wears down and tells Delilah that God supplies his power because of his consecration to God as a Nazirite, symbolized by the fact that a razor has never touched his head, and that if his hair is cut off he will lose his strength . Delilah then woos him to sleep "in her lap" and calls for a servant to shave his hair . Samson loses his strength and he is captured by the Philistines who blind him by gouging out his eyes . They then take him to Gaza, imprison him, and put him to work turning a large millstone and grinding corn . </P> <P> One day, the Philistine leaders assemble in a temple for a religious sacrifice to Dagon, one of their most important deities, for having delivered Samson into their hands . They summon Samson so that people can watch him perform for them . The temple is so crowded that people are even climbing onto the roof to watch--and all the rulers of the entire government of Philistia have gathered there too, some 3,000 people in all . Samson is led into the temple, and he asks his captors to let him lean against the supporting pillars to rest . He prays for strength and God gives him strength to break the pillars, causing the temple to collapse, killing him and the people inside . </P>

Who had his haircut and lost his strength