AbaHluleli

16 Ngesinye isikhathi uSamsoni waya eGaza wafike wabona isifebe, wabe esengena endlini yaso. 2 Kwabikwa kwabaseGaza, kwathiwa: “USamsoni ungene lapha.” Ngakho bazungeza indawo, bamcuthela ubusuku bonke esangweni ledolobha. Bahlala bathula ubusuku bonke, bethi komunye nomunye: “Lapho kusa nje, sizombulala.”

3 Nokho, uSamsoni waqhubeka elele lapho kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili. Wayesevuka phakathi kwamabili wabamba iminyango yesango ledolobha nezigxobo zombili ezisemaceleni wakubhoncula kanye nomgoqo.* Wakubeka emahlombe, wakuthwala wenyukela nakho esiqongweni sentaba ephambi kweHebroni.

4 Ngemva kwalokho, wathanda owesifazane othile eSigodini* SaseSoreki, igama lakhe kwakunguDelila. + 5 Ngakho amakhosi amaFilisti aya kuye afike athi: “Myenge *+ uthole ukuthi yini emenza abe namandla amakhulu kangaka nokuthi singamnqoba kanjani simbophe. Uma ungenza kanjalo, ngamunye wethu uzokunika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-1 100.”

6 Kamuva uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi avelaphi la mandla akho amakhulu nokuthi yini ongaboshwa ngayo ukuze unqotshwe.” 7 USamsoni wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngemisipha yesilwane eyisikhombisa esemanzi engazange yomiswe, ngiyoba buthakathaka ngibe njengawo wonke umuntu.” 8 Ngakho amakhosi amaFilisti amlethela imisipha eyisikhombisa esemanzi engazange yomiswe, wambopha ngayo. 9 Abeka abazocutha ekamelweni, wayesethi kuye: “Nanka amaFilisti, Samsoni!” Lapho ezwa lokho wayigqashula kalula le misipha njengalapho uhala* ushiswa umlilo. + Abazange bazi ukuthi amandla akhe avelaphi.

10 UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Uyabona, ungenze isilima* wangikhohlisa. Manje ngicela ungitshele ukuthi yini ongaboshwa ngayo.” 11 Ngakho wathi kuye: “Uma bengangibopha ngezindophi ezintsha ezingakaze zisetshenziswe, ngiyoba buthakathaka ngibe njengawo wonke umuntu.” 12 Ngakho uDelila wathatha izindophi ezintsha wambopha ngazo wamemeza wathi: “Nanka amaFilisti, Samsoni!” (Sonke leso sikhathi abacuthile babesekamelweni.) Lapho ezwa lokho wazigqashula njengokungathi uhala, + zasuka ezingalweni zakhe.

13 Ngemva kwalokho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Kuze kube manje ulokhu udlala ngami ungikhohlisa. + Ngitshele ukuthi yini ongaboshwa ngayo.” Wamphendula wathi: “Uma weluka amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lami uwahlanganise nentambo yokweluka eqondile.” 14 Ngakho waweluka wawabopha ngothi lokweluka, ngemva kwalokho wamemeza wathi: “Nanka amaFilisti, Samsoni!” Ngakho wavuka wabhoncula uthi lokweluka nentambo yokweluka.

15 Manje wathi kuye: “Ungasho kanjani ukuthi, ‘Ngiyakuthanda,’ + ibe inhliziyo yakho ingekho kimi? Usungikhohlise kwaze kwaba kathathu, awukangitsheli ukuthi la mandla akho amakhulu avelaphi.” + 16 Ngenxa yokuthi wayelokhu embelesela usuku nosuku emcindezela, wacikeka waze wafisa ukufa. + 17 Ngakho ekugcineni wamthululela isifuba sakhe, wathi: “Ikhanda lami alikaze liphucwe, ngoba ngingumNaziri kaNkulunkulu kusukela ngazalwa. *+ Uma ngingaphuca, amandla ami angangishiya, ngibe buthakathaka ngifane nabo bonke abantu.”

18 Lapho uDelila ebona ukuthi umthululele isifuba sakhe, ngokushesha wabiza amakhosi amaFilisti, + wathi: “Wozani, ngoba manje usengithululele isifuba sakhe.” Ngakho amakhosi amaFilisti eza kuye ephethe imali. 19 Wamlalisa emathangeni akhe; wabiza indoda yawaphuca amagoda ayisikhombisa ayesekhanda lakhe. UDelila kwabe umehlulile-ke uSamsoni, ngoba amandla akhe ayelokhu emshiya. 20 Manje wamemeza wathi: “Nanka amaFilisti, Samsoni!” Wavuka wathi: “Ngizophuma njengakwezinye izikhathi + ngiphunyuke.” Kodwa wayengazi ukuthi uJehova wayesemshiyile. 21 Ngakho amaFilisti ambamba amkopolota amehlo. Ngemva kwalokho amehlisela eGaza, ambopha ngozankosi bethusi ezinyaweni, amnika umsebenzi wokugaya ukolweni ejele. 22 Kodwa izinwele zakhe zaphinde zakhula ngemva kokuba ephuciwe. +

23 Amakhosi amaFilisti abuthana ndawonye ukuze enzele uDagoni + unkulunkulu wawo umhlatshelo omkhulu nokuba ajabule, ngoba ayethi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu uSamsoni esandleni sethu!” 24 Lapho abantu bembona, badumisa unkulunkulu wabo, bathi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu esandleni sethu, leso esacekela phansi izwe lethu, + sabulala nabaningi phakathi kwethu.” +

25 Ngenxa yokuthi inhliziyo yabo yayichichima injabulo, bathi: “Bizani uSamsoni sizohlekisa ngaye.” Ngakho bamkhipha uSamsoni ejele ukuze bazomenza inhlekisa; bammisa phakathi kwezinsika. 26 USamsoni wathi kumfana owayembambe ngesandla: “Ngicela ukuthinta izinsika ezisekele indlu, ukuze ngincike kuzo.” 27 (Indlu yayigcwele amadoda nabesifazane. Wonke amakhosi amaFilisti ayelapho, engxenyeni ephezulu kwakunamadoda nabesifazane abangaba ngu-3 000 ababebukele njengoba uSamsoni enziwa inhlekisa.)

28 USamsoni + wabiza uJehova wathi: “Nkosi EnguMbusi Jehova, ngicela ungikhumbule, ungiqinise, + ngiyacela, kulokhu nje kuphela, Nkulunkulu, ngivumele ngiziphindiselele kumaFilisti okungenani ngenxa yelilodwa lamehlo ami.” +

29 Ngemva kwalokho uSamsoni wabambelela ezinsikeni ezimbili ezazimaphakathi ezazisekele indlu, wazimelela kuzo, kwenye ngesandla sokudla kwenye ngesobunxele. 30 USamsoni wamemeza wathi: “Mangife kanye nala maFilisti!” Wayesedudula izinsika ngawo wonke amandla akhe, indlu yawela phezu kwamakhosi naphezu kwabo bonke abantu ababekuyo. + Ngakho baba baningi ababulala lapho efa kunalabo ayebabulale ngesikhathi esaphila. +

31 Kamuva abafowabo nawo wonke umndeni kayise behla bayomlanda. Benyuka naye bafike bamngcwaba phakathi kweZora + ne-Eshitawoli ethuneni likayise uManowa. + Wayebe ngumahluleli ka-Israyeli iminyaka engu-20. +