Samson and Delilah Page #3

A thousand of our young men?

Five thousand?

How many widows do you want to make

before you say enough?

The Israelites lay claim

to our kingdom...

... and we are contemplating

giving it to them?

No. Only that we make peace...

... the price for which is small.

They believe their god

will send them a savior to destroy us.

It is, above all else, this foolish belief

that holds them in our power.

They wait patiently, passively.

Perhaps we should be encouraging them

in this belief.

We should make an example

of their new hero, this Samson.

Before it's too late.

Draw them too close,

and they will discover...

... one of the secrets of our power,

how to make iron.

That is true.

- Perhaps there are ways...

- You wish them to learn...

... how to make real weapons, general?

Well, this year, next year.

Whatever. They will learn.

Man climbs upon

the shoulders of man.

But a treaty is not the answer.

It's too dangerous.

Let us leave them as they are,

waiting for their savior...

... and hope he does not come

till our reign...

... and yours are no more

than great memories.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

- You're my first general.

And what is a first general

without an army?

What is a scorpion

when it loses its sting?

Your Highness.

Will you mourn me

after my death, Sidqa?

Of course, Father.

Very good.

I want you to contact our agents.

Arrange for the capture

of this Samson.

You will command

the operation yourself.

I want him brought back

to Gaza. Alive, if possible.

- Alive?

- Yes, alive. Living, not dead.

More difficult, but essential.

- But it may be they already believe.

- Myths and legends wrap themselves...

... around the dead

and make them martyred heroes.

They are remembered.

I want this Samson

brought back here to Gaza.

A prisoner. In chains of iron.

He'll be quickly forgotten.

Here is your money.

Now show us where he lives.

A stranger.

He said...

He said...

Come, brother.

Our work is done here.

Father!

- Mara! Mara! Are you hurt?

- Please, God...

Please, God, help him.

Samson!

What are you doing?

Where are you taking him?

- Let him go!

- Samson!

Stay where you are.

With Samson gone,

we shall lead the rebellion.

People will look to us to inspire them.

They'll bring their hopes,

fears, doubts to us.

We will become the true judges

of Israel.

See there in the stars...

... when Samson has been netted.

Help him! Help him!

Stop them!

You've got no right to do this!

- What is happening?

- They've taken Samson.

What?

Where are they taking him?

Do something. Help him!

Do something!

Yoram, come on. Come on!

Samson! Let me through!

Go! Take him!

- Samson!

- Go! Seize him! Go!

Stay back.

You, go on!

Manoah.

Go! Stop him!

You, get him!

Go on!

Where were you? We outnumbered them

by more than 100.

Lead you?

Shall I kill him for you too?

- Where are you going?

- Kill him yourself.

- Samson!

- Samson!

Cowards! Traitors!

- We should have stayed to watch.

- No.

Being at home asleep

proclaims our innocence.

He'll be halfway to Gaza by now...

... in chains of iron.

Lord!

Lord!

Yoram.

- We'll find somewhere to hide you.

- Hide me?

They might come again.

- Let them.

- Come.

You have a friend,

one who will never betray us.

How many of them were there?

We outnumbered them

by more than 100.

- You fought them like 200.

- God is good.

Not one of them tried to help.

Except you.

The others begged rebellion of me

one day and abandoned me the next.

- They were frightened.

- And you weren't.

I'm not old enough to know better.

Nor are my parents.

Naomi cracked a few skulls.

Love is a powerful conqueror of fear.

Surely if he had been taken...

... Father would have been told.

He would have awoken us by now.

Father is asleep, and he's...

Where would he go?

They have to come back.

All the laws we have to live by

are so difficult to keep.

Part of our strength is giving support

to each other.

And helping each other...

... and guiding each other

will reveal this temptation.

You were dedicated

a Nazarite at birth?

- Yes. Like you, I belong to the Lord.

- We belong to the Lord.

He is a strange master who tells

us nothing, asks nothing of us.

His ways are unknowable.

He moves beyond our understanding.

Or not at all.

He gave you strength enough

to break a lion's neck.

You knew.

You what?

- Nothing.

- Nothing.

There are many ways to be strong.

Samson. What are you... ?

- We heard voices.

- What's he doing here?

The Philistines tried to capture him.

He beat them back.

- He did?

- God be praised.

Yes. God be praised.

- With him here, we will all be in danger.

- What if they come back again?

- Tonight?

- They won't look here.

If they come back again,

search the village?

- Then what?!

- We'll be taken to Gaza in chains!

He can't stay here!

Jehiel, Amram, leave us.

If you are in fear of your lives...

... find another place to sleep.

- Father...

- The Philistines...

- lf the Philistines come, they come.

- Now, leave us!

- Come, brother.

My son.

Has your father ever told you

how proud he is of you?

But my sons...

"Samson caught us in a net.

Samson caught us in... "

A net.

How else did they know

where you slept?

Jehiel.

Amram.

Oh, no.

No.

No. My own sons.

Traitors. Fools!

If a man sins against another,

God may intervene in his favor...

... but if a man sins against the Lord

and his consecrated, who shall intercede?

Father, somebody's been lying to you.

Jehiel. Amram.

- They betrayed me.

- Samson, no!

- We haven't sinned, Father.

- You have disgraced me.

- We haven't...

- My own sons have torn out my heart.

No, Samson!

- No!

- Samson, no.

You beg for once, only to die.

No!

Samson, don't kill them. I beg of you.

Samson. Samson!

We thought that we were attacked

by a superior Israelite force.

You keep telling me

they have no superior force.

Never underestimate the enemy.

In the circumstances, I thought it

prudent to withdraw, to regroup.

- Back here in Gaza?

- Well, ready for another day.

But he was just one man.

- One man.

- But with the strength of 50.

- And others attacked us.

- With bare hands?

It was dark. Who knew what weapons?

Did they all have

the jawbone of an ass?

The gods give an ignorant

Israelite peasant Samson for a son...

... and they give me the king of Gaza.

You.

I have but one duty,

that's to outlive my heir.

Is there no justice in the stars?

Get out of my sight.

- Father...

- Are you deaf as well as brainless?

I said, get out of my sight. Go.

I want an emissary to inquire...

... and report to me

on exactly what happened.

Yes, my lord.

Well, General Tariq,

is there justice in the stars?

Apparently not.

The number of kings who outlive their heirs

does not give us grounds for confidence.

Samson!

- Samson.

- Go back to the village.

- Where are you going?

- Away. I don't know.

Samson, I am lost without you.

Ever since I was born,

you've been there.

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