¹¹ In response, 3,000 soldiers from the tribe of Judah went down to the caves of the rock of Etam and asked Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines have us in their control? What have you done to us?”

“I did to them what they did to me,” he answered.

¹² They responded, “We’ve come here to arrest you and transfer you to the custody of the Philistines.”

Samson told them, “Promise me that you won’t kill me.”

¹³ So they said, “No, we won’t. But we’re going to tie you up securely and transfer you to their custody. But we won’t kill you.” Then they bound him with two ropes and brought him up from the caves.^[a]