AbaHluleli

15 Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile, ngezinsuku zokuvunwa kukakolweni, uSamsoni wahamba wayovakashela umkakhe ephethe izinyane lembuzi. Wathi: “Ngifisa ukuya kumkami ekamelweni.”* Kodwa umukhwe wakhe akazange amvumele ukuba angene. 2 Umukhwe wakhe wathi: “Ngangicabanga ukuthi awumthandi. + Ngakho ngamnika insizwa eyayikukhaphile. + Udadewabo omncane akamuhle yini kunaye? Ngicela uthathe yena esikhundleni sakhe.” 3 Nokho, uSamsoni wathi kuye: “Kulokhu amaFilisti akumele angisole ngokuwalimaza.”

4 Ngakho uSamsoni wahamba wabamba izimpungushe ezingu-300. Ngemva kwalokho wathatha izibani, wahlukanisa izimpungushe ngambili wabe esezibopha ngemisila zifulathelene, wafaka izibani phakathi kwemisila yazo. 5 Ngemva kwalokho wokhela izibani wayesethumela izimpungushe emasimini amaFilisti okudla okusanhlamvu okungakavunwa. Washisa yonke into kusukela esithungwini kuya ekudleni okusanhlamvu okungakavunwa, kanye namasimu amagilebhisi nawezihlahla zeminqumo.

6 AmaFilisti athi: “Ubani owenze lento?” Kwathiwa: “NguSamsoni umkhwenyana womThimna, ngoba uthathe umkakhe wamnika enye yezinsizwa ebezimkhaphile.” + Lapho ezwa lokhu, amaFilisti akhuphuka afike ashisa umkakhe noyise ngomlilo. + 7 USamsoni wathi kuwo: “Uma nenza kanje, ngeke nginiyeke ngingakaziphindiseleli kini.” + 8 Wawabulala kwalala uyaca,* ngemva kwalokho wehla wayohlala emhumeni* wedwala lase-Etamu.

9 Kamuva amaFilisti akhuphuka amisa amatende kwaJuda, ayelokhu ezulazula eLehi. + 10 Amadoda akwaJuda athi: “Kungani nikhuphukele ukuzolwa nathi?” wona athi: “Sizobamba* uSamsoni, ukuze simenze lokho akwenze kithi.” 11 Ngakho amadoda akwaJuda angu-3 000 ehlela emhumeni* wedwala lase-Etamu afike athi kuSamsoni: “Awazi yini ukuthi amaFilisti ayasibusa? + Pho kungani usenze le nto?” Wathi kuwo: “Ngenze kuwo njengoba nje enzile kimi.” 12 Kodwa athi kuye: “Sizokubamba* ukuze sikunikele kumaFilisti.” USamsoni wathi: “Fungani kimi ukuthi nina ngeke ningihlasele.” 13 Athi kuye: “Cha, sizomane sikubophe bese sikunikela kuwo, kodwa ngeke sikubulale.”

Ngakho ambopha ngezindophi ezimbili ezintsha amkhipha edwaleni. 14 Lapho efika eLehi, amaFilisti amemeza ngenjabulo lapho embona. Umoya kaJehova wamnika amandla, + izindophi ezazisezingalweni zakhe zaba njengemicu yelineni ehangulwe ngumlilo, zancibilika ezandleni zakhe. + 15 Wathola ithambo eliselisha lomhlathi wembongolo yeduna; + welula isandla walithatha, wabulala ngalo amadoda angu-1 000. 16 Ngemva kwalokho uSamsoni wathi:

“Ngethambo lomhlathi wembongolo—inqwaba eyodwa, izinqwaba ezimbili!

Ngethambo lomhlathi wembongolo ngibulale amadoda angu-1 000.” +

17 Lapho eqeda ukusho lokho, walilahla lelo thambo lomhlathi, wayeseqamba leyo ndawo ngokuthi iRamati-lehi. *+ 18 Ngemva kwalokho woma kakhulu, wayesebiza uJehova wathi: “Nguwe onike isandla senceku yakho le nsindiso enkulu kangaka. Kodwa manje ingabe sekufanele ngibulawe ukoma, bese ngiwela ezandleni zabangasokile?” 19 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wenza umgodi owawuseLehi wavuleka, kwaphuma amanzi. + Lapho ephuza, umoya wakhe wabuya,* wavuseleleka. Yingakho aqamba leyo ndawo ngokuthi i-Eni-hakore,* iseLehi kuze kube namuhla.

20 USamsoni waba umahluleli kwa-Israyeli iminyaka engu-20 ngesikhathi amaFilisti ebusa izwe. +