ABagwebi 16:1-31
16 Ngenye imini uSamson waya eGaza, wabona umfazi othengisa ngomzimba, waya kuye.
2 Kwathiwa kubantu baseGaza: “USamson ungene apha.” Ngoko bayingqonga loo ndawo baza bamlalela ubusuku bonke egeyithini yesixeko. Bahlala bethe cwaka ubusuku bonke, besithi: “Kwakuba kusasa, siza kumbulala.”
3 Kodwa uSamson walala apho de kwaba sezinzulwini zobusuku. Wavuka ezinzulwini zobusuku waza wabamba iingcango zegeyithi yesixeko nezibonda ezisecaleni ezibini, wazincothula kunye nomvalo. Wazixwaya emagxeni, waya nazo encotsheni yentaba ejongene neHebron.
4 Emva koko wathanda intokazi yakwiNtlambo YaseSoreki egama linguDelila.+
5 Ngoko iinkosi zamaFilisti zaya kuyo zathi: “Mqhathe*+ uze ubone ukuba yintoni le imenza abe namandla angaka, nokuba singamoyisa njani size simbophe. Ngamnye kuthi uza kukunika amaqhosha esilivere ayi-1 100.”
6 Ethubeni uDelila wathi kuSamson: “Ndicela undixelele ukuba uwathatha phi la mandla angaka, nokuba ungabotshwa ngantoni ukuze umntu akoyise.”
7 USamson wathi kuye: “Ukuba bangandibopha ngeentambo zesaphetha ezingekomiswa, ndingaphelelwa ngamandla, ndibe njengomntu oqhelekileyo.”
8 Ngoko iinkosi zamaFilisti zamnika iintambo zesaphetha ezisixhenxe ezingekomiswa, waza wambopha ngazo.
9 Kwakukho abantu ababemlalele kwigumbi elingaphakathi, waza uDelila wakhwaza esithi: “Nanga amaFilisti, Samson!” Waziqhawula ezo ntambo zesaphetha oku komsonto otshiswa* ngumlilo.+ Abazange bayazi imfihlelo yamandla akhe.
10 UDelila wathi kuSamson: “Jonga! Undiqhathile,* wandixokisa. Ndiyakucela, khawundixelele ukuba ungabotshwa ngantoni.”
11 Wathi kuye: “Ukuba bangandibopha ngeentambo ezingazange zisetyenziswe, ndingaphelelwa ngamandla, ndibe njengomntu oqhelekileyo.”
12 UDelila wathatha iintambo ezintsha, wambopha ngazo waza wathi kuye: “Nanga amaFilisti, Samson!” (Ngalo lonke elo xesha ayemlalele kwigumbi elingaphakathi.) Waziqhawula ezo ntambo ezingalweni zakhe ngathi uqhawula imisonto.+
13 Emva koko uDelila wathi kuSamson: “Nangoku undiqhathile, wandixokisa.+ Khawundixelele ukuba ungabotshwa ngantoni.” Waza wathi kuye: “Ukuba nje ungandenza imiphotho esixhenxe entloko ngomsonto.”
14 Ngoko wayiqinisa ngokhuni waza wakhwaza wathi kuye: “Nanga amaFilisti, Samson!” Wavuka ebuthongweni, waluncothula uluthi nomsonto wokuphotha.
15 Ngoku wathi kuye: “Utsho njani ukuba, ‘Ndiyakuthanda,’+ kodwa intliziyo yakho ayikho kum? Kokwesithathu ngoku undiqhatha, ibe nangoku awukandixeleli ukuba uwathatha phi la mandla angaka.”+
16 Kuba wayemmele ngale nto, emcenga mihla le, wakruquka wada wangathi angasuka afe.+
17 Ngoko ekugqibeleni wamchazela yonke into, wathi: “Intloko yam zange ichetywe, kuba ndingumNaziri kaThixo kwasekuzalweni.*+ Ukuba ndingachetywa, angaphela amandla am ndize ndibe buthathaka njengabo bonke abanye abantu.”
18 Wathi akubona uDelila ukuba umchazele yonke into, ngoko nangoko wabiza iinkosi zamaFilisti,+ esithi: “Yizani, kuba ngoku undichazele yonke into.” Ngoko iinkosi zamaFilisti zeza kuye ziphethe imali.
19 Wamlalisa emadolweni akhe, wabiza umntu waza wayicheba imiphotho esixhenxe yentloko yakhe. Emva koko uDelila waba namandla kunaye, kuba uSamson wayephelelwa ngamandla.
20 Ngoko wakhwaza wathi: “Nanga amaFilisti, Samson!” Wavuka ebuthongweni waza wathi: “Ndiza kuphuma njengesiqhelo+ ndizivuthulule, ndiphuncuke.” Kodwa wayengazi ukuba uYehova wayemshiyile.
21 Ngoko amaFilisti ambamba, amkhupha amehlo. Amthatha amsa eGaza aza ambopha ngamakhamandela amabini ekopolo, waza waba ngumsili wokutya okuziinkozo ejele.
22 Kodwa iinwele zentloko yakhe zaphinda zakhula emva kokuba zichetyiwe.+
23 Iinkosi zamaFilisti zadibana zenzela uDagon+ uthixo wazo umbingelelo omkhulu, zibhiyoza zisithi: “Uthixo wethu ulunikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu uSamson!”
24 Bathi bakumbona abantu, badumisa uthixo wabo besithi: “Uthixo wethu ulunikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu, olwatshabalalisa ilizwe lethu,+ lwabulala nabantu bethu abaninzi.”+
25 Ekubeni intliziyo yabo yayivuya, bathi: “Bizani uSamson, azokusonwabisa.” Ngoko bambiza uSamson ejele, bammisa phakathi kweentsika.
26 USamson wathi kwinkwenkwe eyayimbambe ngesandla: “Khawuthi ndibambe ezi ntsika zixhase le ndlu, ndize ndayame ngazo.”
27 (Kwathi kanti igcwele ngamadoda nabafazi loo ndlu. Zonke iinkosi zamaFilisti zazilapho, yaye eluphahleni kwakukho amadoda nabafazi abamalunga ne-3 000 ababebukele ngoxa uSamson wayebonwabisa.)
28 Ngoko uSamson+ wakhala kuYehova esithi: “Nkosi enguMongami Yehova, ndicela undikhumbule, undomeleze,+ ndiyakucela, kube kanye nje, owu yhini Thixo, mandiphindezele kula maFilisti nokuba linye kula mehlo am.”+
29 Ngoko uSamson waxhathisa ngeentsika ezimbini eziphakathi ezixhase indlu, wabambelela ngesandla sasekunene kwenye, nangesasekhohlo kwenye.
30 Wakhwaza wathi: “Mandife namaFilisti!” Wazityhala ngamandla akhe onke, yaza indlu yawela phezu kweenkosi nabo bonke abantu ababekuyo.+ Ngoko xa wayesifa wabulala abantu abaninzi kunabo wayebabulele esaphila.+
31 Emva koko abantakwabo nayo yonke intsapho katata wakhe behla bazokumthatha. Banyuka naye baya kumngcwabela phakathi kweTsora+ ne-Eshtawoli kwingcwaba likaManowa+ utata wakhe. USamson wayengumgwebi kwaSirayeli iminyaka eyi-20.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “Mcenge.”
^ Okanye “kwentambo etshiswa.”
^ Okanye “Udlale ngam.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “kususela ndisesesibelekweni sikamama.”
