³ the five^(A) rulers of the Philistines,^(B) all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites^(C) living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon^(D) to Lebo Hamath.^(E)

⁵ The rulers of the Philistines^(A) went to her and said, “See if you can lure^(B) him into showing you the secret of his great strength^(C) and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels^[a] of silver.”^(D)

³⁰ Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

⁸ So they called together all the rulers^(A) of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”

They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.^(B)” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

¹¹ So they called together all the rulers^(A) of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it^[a] will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it.

⁴ The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”

They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number^(A) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague^(B) has struck both you and your rulers.

¹² Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.