Abahluleli 16:1-31
16 Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza, nakalapho wabona ingwadla, wangena ngendlinayo.
2 Abantu beGaza babikelwa kwathiwa: “USamsoni ula.” Yeke babhoda indawo leyo begodu bamkhukhuthela ubusuku boke esangweni ledorobho. Bathula ubusuku boke bazitjela ukuthi: “Sizombulala nakuphuma ilanga.”
3 Nokho, uSamsoni wasolo alele lapho bekwaba phakathi kobusuku. Wavuka phakathi kobusuku wabamba iminyango yesango ledorobho namagosenayo amabili wayikhupha nesiqabo sayo. Wazitjatha emahlombe begodu wakhuphuka nazo watjhinga esiqongolweni sentaba eqale iRhebroni.
4 Ngemva kwalokho wathandana nentombi yemRhobeni weSorekhi, igama layo bekunguDelila.+
5 Yeke amakhosi wamaFilista atjhinga kuDelila athi: “Mkhohlise+ ufumane ukuthi khuyini emenza abe namandla angaka nokuthi singamhlula njani, simbophe begodu simqede amandla. Nawungenza njalo, ngamunye wethu uzokunikela iimpaparwana zesiliva eziyi-1 100.”
6 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ngibawa ungitjele ukuthi uwafumanaphi amandlakho amakhulu nokuthi khuyini esingayisebenzisa bona sikubophe besikuhlule.”
7 USamsoni wathi kuye: “Nangingabotjhwa ngeentambo zemisebe ezilikhomba ezitja ezingakonyiswa, ngizokuphela amandla ngibe njengendoda ejayelekileko.”
8 Yeke amakhosi wamaFilista amlethela iintambo zemisebe ezilikhomba ezitja ezingakonyiswa, wambopha ngazo.
9 Amadoda bewazifihle ngekumbeni engaphakathi begodu uDelila warhuwelela wathi: “Nako amaFilista phezu kwakho Samsoni!” USamsoni wadabula iinrobho phakathi, wazidabula lula njengalokha intambo yokuluka ihlukana phakathi nayithinta umlilo.+ Ifihlo yamandlakhe akhenge yaziwe.
10 UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Qala! Ungenze isidlhayela bewangitjela amala. Nje-ke ngibawa ungitjele ukuthi ungabotjhwa ngani.”
11 Nje-ke uSamsoni wathi kuye: “Nangingabotjhwa ngeenrobho ezitja ezingakasetjenziselwa umsebenzi, ngizokuphela amandla ngibe njengendoda ejayelekileko.”
12 UDelila wathatha iinrobho ezitja wambopha ngazo warhuwelela wathi: “Nako amaFilista phezu kwakho Samsoni!” (Soke isikhathesi amadoda bewamkhukhuthela ngekumbeni engaphakathi.) USamsoni wazidabula emikhonwenakhe njengerhara.+
13 Ngemva kwalokho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Bekube nje ungenze isidlhayela bewangitjela amala.+ Ngitjela ukuthi ungabotjhwa ngani.” USamsoni wathi kuye: “Nawungaluka imiyeko elikhomba esehlokwenami ngekoteni.”
14 Yeke uDelila wayibambisa ngesikhonkhwani begodu warhuwelela wathi: “Nako amaFilista phezu kwakho Samsoni!” USamsoni wavuka ebuthongweni wakhupha isikhonkwani sokuluka nekoteni.
15 UDelila wathi kuye: “Ungatjho njani ukuthi uyangithanda+ kanti ihliziywakho ayisinami? Iinkhathi ezintathwezi ungenze isidlhadlha sakho begodu awukangitjeli ukuthi uyini umthombo wamandlakho amakhulu.”+
16 Ngebanga lokuthi qobe langa bekasolo ambalabalela begodu amgandelela, uSamsoni wadineka bekwathi afe.+
17 Yeke ekugcineni wamthululela isifuba sakhe, wathi: “Akhenge khengirhunwe ihloko ngombana ngimNaziri kaZimu kusukela ekubelethweni kwami.+ Nangingarhunwa, amandlami azongitjhiya begodu ngizokuphelelwa mamandla ngifane nawo woke amanye amadoda.”
18 Kwathi uDelila nakabona ukuthi umthululele isifuba sakhe, wabiza amakhosi wamaFilista khonokho+ wathi: “Ningeza nje ngombana ungithululele isifuba sakhe.” Yeke amakhosi wamaFilista akhuphukela kuye aphethe imali.
19 Wamlalisa eenyongeni zakhe; wabiza indoda yamrhuna imiyeko elikhomba esehlokwenakhe. Ngemva kwalokho uDelila wathoma ukuba namandla phezu kwakaSamsoni ngombana amandlakhe bewamtjhiya.
20 Nje-ke uDelila warhuwelela wathi: “Nako amaFilista phezu kwakho Samsoni!” USamsoni wavuka ebuthongweni wathi: “Ngizokuphuma njengemihleni+ ngizitjhaphulule.” Kodwana bekangazi ukuthi uJehova umtjhiyile.
21 Yeke amaFilista ambamba amgobhodlha amehlo. Ngemva kwalokho ehlela naye eGaza ambopha ngamakhamandela amabili wekhopha begodu wasebenza ukusila iinthoro ejele.
22 Kodwana iinhluthu zakhe zathoma ukukhula godu ngemva kokuthi bamrhunile.+
23 Amakhosi wamaFilista ahlangana azokwenza umhlatjelo omkhulu kuDagoni+ uzimawo begodu azokugidinga ngombana bewathi: “Uzimethu unikele uSamsoni inaba lethu esandleni sethu!”
24 Kwathi abantu nabambonako, badumisa uzimabo bathi: “Uzimethu unikele inaba lethu esandleni sethu, inaba elatjhabalalisa inarhethu+ labulala nabanengi bethu.”+
25 Ngebanga lokuthi bebathabile, bathi: “Bizani uSamsoni bona azosihlekisa.” Yeke babiza uSamsoni ejele bona azobadlalela; bamjamisa hlangana neensika ezimbili.
26 USamsoni wathi emsaneni obekambambe ngesandla: “Ngivumela ngithinte iinsika ezisekele indlu bona ngisame ngazo.”
27 (Indlu leyo beyizele amadoda nabafazi. Woke amakhosi wamaFilista bewalapho begodu ephahleni bekunamadoda nabafazi abangaba zii-3 000 ebebabukele uSamsoni nakabahlekisako.)
28 Nje-ke uSamsoni+ wabiza uJehova wathi: “Kosi ePhakemeko Jehova, ngibawa ungikhumbule begodu ngibawa ungiqinise,+ ihlandleli kwaphela, maye! Zimu ngibawa ungivumele ngizibuyiselele kumaFilista ngebanga lalinye lamehlwami.”+
29 Ngemva kwalokho, uSamsoni wajama hlangana neensika ezimbili eziphakathi ezisekela indlu, wabambelela ngesandla sakhe sokudla esikeni yinye nangesandla sakhe sesincele kwenye isika.
30 USamsoni warhuwelela wathi: “Angife namaFilista!” Wasunduza ngamandlakhe woke, indlu yawela phezu kwamakhosi nabo boke abantu ebebangaphakathi.+ Yeke wabulala abanengi ekufeni kwakhe kunalabo ababulala nakasaphilako.+
31 Ngemva kwesikhathi, abafowabo nomndeni kayise woke behla bazomthatha. Bakhuphuka naye bambulunga hlangana neTsora+ ne-Etjhitawuli ethuneni lakaManowarhi+ uyise. USamsoni bekahlulele u-Israyeli iminyaka ema-20.+
