AbaHlulelii

15 Ngemva kwesikhathi esithileko, ngamalanga wokuvunwa kwekoroyi uSamsoni wakhamba wayokuvakatjhela umkakhe aphethe imbuzana. Wathi: “Ngifisa ukungena ngakumkami ekumbeni yokulala.”* Kodwana umukhwe wakhe azange amvumele bona angene. 2 Umukhwe wakhe wathi: “Ngacabanga ukuthi, ‘Kufuze bona uyamzonda nakanjani.’+ Yeke ngamnikela omunye wabaphekeleli bakho.+ Kghani udadwabo omncani akanajamo ukudlula yena na? Ngibawa uthathe yena esikhundleni sakhe.” 3 Kodwana uSamsoni wathi kibo: “Nje khona amaFilista angekhe angisole ngokuwalimaza.”

4 Yeke uSamsoni wakhamba wayokubamba iimpungutjha ezima-300. Ngemva kwalokho, wathatha iimbani wahlanganisa iimpungutjha ngazimbili ngemisila, wafaka isibani sinye phakathi kwemisila emibili. 5 Ngemva kwalokho, wathungelela iimbani ngomlilo begodu wathumela iimpungutjha emasimini weenthoro wamaFilista. Watjhisa koke ngomlilo, kusukela esitjherifini kuya eenthorweni ezingakavunwa, kuhlanganise namasimu wamadiribe namasimu wama-oliva.

6 AmaFilista abuza: “Ngubani owenze lokhu?” Abikelwa ukuthi: “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana womTimna, ngombana umTimna uthethe umkaSamsoni wamnikela omunye wabaphekeleli bakhe.”+ Ngalokho amaFilista akhuphuka atjhisa umkaSamsoni noyise.+ 7 Yeke uSamsoni wathi kiwo: “Nanenza nje, angekhe ngalisa bekube kulapho ngizibuyiselela kini.”+ 8 Ngalokho wenza umonakalo omkhulu ngokubarhayila ngokulandelana, ngemva kwalokho wehla wayokuhlala erholweni* ledwala i-Ethamu.

9 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi amaFilista akhuphuka, ahloma ikampa kwaJuda begodu bewazulazula eLerhi.+ 10 Amadoda wakwaJuda athi: “Kubayini nikhuphuke nazokulwa nathi?” AmaFilista aphendula athi: “Sikhuphukele ukuzokubamba* uSamsoni, sizomenza lokho asenze khona.” 11 Ngalokho amadoda wakwaJuda azii-3 000 ehlela erholweni* ledwala i-Ethamu athi kuSamsoni: “Awazi na ukuthi amaFilista ayasibusa?+ Alo uyenzeleni into le kithi?” Wathi kiwo: “Ngiwenze lokho angenze khona.” 12 Kodwana athi kuye: “Sizele ukuzokubamba* bona sikunikele emaFilistini.” USamsoni wathi: “Fungani kimi ukuthi nina angekhe nithome ningibeke isandla.” 13 Athi kuye: “Awa, thina sizokubopha kwaphela sikunikele kiwo kodwana angekhe sikubulale.”

Yeke ambopha ngeentambo ezitja ezimbili, amkhupha erholweni. 14 Kwathi nakafika eLerhi, amaFilista arhuwelela athabile nawahlangana naye. Ummoya kaJehova wamupha amandla,+ iintambo ebezisezandleni zakhe zaba njengerhara yelineni erhatjulwe mlilo begodu amakhamandela asezandleni zakhe ancibilika.+ 15 Nje-ke wafumana ithambo elitjha lomhlathi kadumbana oduna; walula isandla walithatha warhayila ngalo amadoda ayi-1 000.+ 16 Yeke uSamsoni wathi:

“Ngethambo lomhlathi kadumbana, iqubi linye, amaqubi amabili!

Ngethambo lomhlathi kadumbana ngirhayile amadoda ayi-1 000.”+

17 Nakaqeda ukukhuluma, walahla ithambo lomhlathelo wabiza indawo leyo ngokuthi yiRamathi-Lerhi.*+ 18 Ngemva kwalokho, womela amanzi khulu, wabiza uJehova wathi: “Nguwe onikele isindiso ekulu le esandleni sencekwakho. Kodwana nje kufuze ngibulawe kukoma bengiwele ezandleni zabangakasoki na?” 19 Yeke uZimu wavula imbobo ebeyiseLerhi, kwageleza amanzi kiyo.+ Kwathi angasela, ummoyakhe wabuya* begodu wavuseleleka. Kungebangelo wabiza indawo leyo ngokuthi yi-Eni-Hakhore,* eseLerhi bekube kunamhlanjesi.

20 Wahlulela u-Israyeli emihleni yamaFilista iminyaka ema-20.+