ABahluleli

16 Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza. Wafika lapho wabona isifebe wasengena endlini yaso. 2 Abantu beGaza batshelwa ukuthi uSamsoni ukhonapho. Ngakho bagombolozela indawo ayekuyo bamcathamela egedini ledolobho. Balinda ubusuku bonke besithi: “Sizamhlasela nxa sekusile simbulale.”

3 USamsoni yena wayezilalele. Kwathi sekuphakathi kwamabili wavuka wabamba izivalo zegedi ledolobho lensika zalo ezimbili, wakuquphula konke lomgoqo wakhona, wasekuthwala emahlombe wakhwela lakho phezu kwentaba ekhangelane leHebroni.

4 USamsoni wathandana lowesifazana owayehlala esigodini seSorekhi okwakuthiwa nguDelila.+ 5 Ngakho ababusi bamaFilisti balanda uDelila bathi: “Mncenge aze*+ akutshele ukuthi uwathatha ngaphi amandla amakhulu kangaka lokuthi singenzani ukuze simehlule futhi simbophe. Nxa ungenza njalo, ngamunye wethu uzakunika inhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-1 100.”

6 Ngemva kwalokho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi uwathatha ngaphi amandla amakhulu kangaka lokuthi ungabotshwa ngani ukuze unqotshwe.” 7 USamsoni wamphendula wathi: “Nxa ngingabotshwa ngentambo zedandili* eziyisikhombisa ezingonyiswanga, ngiyaphela amandla ngibe njengaye wonke umuntu nje.” 8 Ngakho ababusi bamaFilisti banika uDelila intambo zedandili eziyisikhombisa ezingonyiswanga, wasembopha ngazo. 9 Bathuma amadoda ukuthi amcathamele endlini engaphakathi, uDelila wasememeza wathi: “Samsoni nanka amaFilisti!” USamsoni wathi ekuzwa lokho waqamula intambo ayebotshwe ngazo, kwangathi zintanjana zelineni ezihangulwe lilangabi lomlilo.+ Ngakho kwaqhubeka kuyimfihlo ukuthi amandla akhe wayewathatha ngaphi.

10 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni: “Kambe uze ungenze isithutha kangaka ungitshele amanga! Khathesi ngicela ungitshele ukuthi ungabotshwa ngani.” 11 Yena wathi kuye: “Nxa ngingabotshwa ngentambo ezintsha ezingakaze zisetshenziswe ngiyaphela amandla ngibe njengaye wonke umuntu.” 12 Ngakho uDelila wathatha intambo ezintsha wambopha ngazo wasememeza wathi: “Samsoni nanka amaFilisti!” USamsoni waziqamula intambo lezo angathi luhali nje.+ Ngalesosikhathi kwakulamadoda ayemcathamele endlini engaphakathi.

13 Ngemva kwalokho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ulokhu ungenza isithutha futhi ungitshela amanga.+ Ngitshela phela ukuthi ungabotshwa ngani.” USamsoni wasesithi kuye: “Nxa ungeluka izixha eziyisikhombisa zenwele zami uzihlanganise ngentambo yokuthunga, ngiyaphela amandla.” 14 Wazibopha-ke inwele zikaSamsoni wafaka iphini, wamemeza wathi: “Samsoni nanka amaFilisti!” USamsoni wavuka wahwatsha iphini leyo wadonsa lentambo ayemeluke ngayo.

15 UDelila wasesithi kuye: “Kungani usithi uyangithanda+ wena inhliziyo yakho ingekho kimi? Sekukathathu ulokhu ungenza isithutha futhi ungifihlela ukuthi amandla akho amakhulu uwathatha ngaphi.”+ 16 Wayehlala embelesela nsuku zonke njalo ephikelela, uSamsoni waze wadakeka.+ 17 Ngakho wacina emtshela iqiniso lonke wathi: “Kangikaze ngigelwe ikhanda ngoba ngaba ngumNaziri* kaNkulunkulu kusukela ngizalwa.*+ Nxa ikhanda lami lingaphucwa ngizaphela amandla ngifanane labantu bonke nje.”

18 UDelila wathi ebona ukuthi uSamsoni wayesemtshele lonke iqiniso, wahle wabiza ababusi bamaFilisti+ wathi kubo: “Buyani ngoba usengitshele yonke imfihlo yakhe.” Ngakho ababusi bamaFilisti baya kuye bemphathele imali yakhe. 19 UDelila walalisa uSamsoni enyaweni wamlolozela, wabiza indoda eyayilapho wathi imgele izixha zenwele zakhe eziyisikhombisa. UDelila wasesiba lamandla phezu kukaSamsoni ngoba amandla kaSamsoni ayesephela. 20 Wamemeza wathi: “Samsoni nanka amaFilisti!” USamsoni waphaphama ebuthongweni wathi: “Ngizavuka njengensukwini+ ngizilwele.” Kodwa wayengakwazi ukuthi uJehova usemtshiyile. 21 AmaFilisti asembamba amkopola amehlo, amthatha ahamba laye eGaza afika ambopha ngamaketane amabili amfaka ejele. Amgcina khona esebenza ukuchola amabele. 22 Inwele zakhe zaqalisa ukukhula futhi ngemva kokugelwa kwazo.+

23 Ababusi bamaFilisti babuthana ndawonye ukuze banikele umhlatshelo oqakathekileyo kunkulunkulu wabo uDagoni+ lokuthi bathokoze ngoba babesithi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu uSamsoni ezandleni zethu!” 24 AmaFilisti athi ebona uSamsoni adumisa unkulunkulu wawo esithi: “Unkulunkulu wethu usenikele isitha sethu ezandleni zethu. Umuntu lo nguye ochithe ilizwe lethu+ wabulala labantu bakithi abanengi.”+

25 Bathokoza kakhulu baze bathi: “Lethani uSamsoni azosilibazisa.” Ngakho bakhipha uSamsoni ejele ukuze bazomenza inhlekisa, bafika bammisa phakathi kwensika ezimbili. 26 USamsoni wasekhuluma lomfana owayemqhuba wathi: “Ngicela ukuthinta insika zendlu ngifuna ukubambelela kuzo.” 27 (Indlu leyo yayigcwele amadoda labesifazana. Bonke ababusi bamaFilisti babekhona phakathi, njalo ephahleni kwakulamadoda labesifazana abangu-3 000 ababebukele uSamsoni behlekisana ngaye.)

28 USamsoni+ wakhuleka kuJehova wathi: “Nkosi Enkulu Jehova, ngicela ungikhumbule unginike amandla.+ Ngicela ungiphe amandla kanye nje kuphela, awu Nkulunkulu wami, ungisize ngiphindisele kumaFilisti, ngiphindiselele ilihlo lami elilodwa nje.”+

29 Wasebambelela ensikeni ezimbili zendlu, wazibamba waqinisa ngesandla sokudla lesenxele, 30 wamemeza wathi: “Kangife* lamaFilisti!” Wafuqa insika lezo ngamandla akhe wonke, indlu yadilikela phezu kwababusi labantu bonke ababephakathi.+ Wabulala abantu abanengi ekufeni kwakhe ukwedlula bonke ayebabulele ngezinye izikhathi empilweni yakhe.+

31 Ngemva kwalokho abafowabo labo bonke abendlu kayise babuya bazomthatha. Bahamba bayamngcwaba ethuneni likayise uManowa,+ phakathi kweZora+ le-Eshithawoli. USamsoni wahlulela abako-Israyeli okweminyaka engu-20.+