USamsoni uhlula amaFilista
1Ngemva kwesikhathi, lokha nakuvunwa ikoroyi, uSamsoni wavakatjhela umkakhe wamphathela imbuzana wathi: “Ngizokuya kumkami ngelawini.”
Kodwana umkhwe wakhe wamalela kobana angene ngapho, 2ngombana wathi kuye: “Bengiqinisekile bonyana awumthandi, yeke ngamnikela ipelesakho. Nokho unodadwabo omncani omuhle kunaye. Thatha yena esikhundleni sakhe.”
3USamsoni wathi: “Kwanjesi khona angizukuba nomlandu kumaFilista nangibenza nyamanambana.”
4USamsoni wakhamba wayokubamba iimpungutjha ezimakhulu amathathu, wazibophelela ngazimbili ngemisilazo. Wathatha iinhlothi wazibopha hlangana nemisilazo. 5Wathungela iinhlothezo ngomlilo, waqotjhela iimpungutjhezo emasimini wekoroyi yamaFilista. Ngendlela leyo watjhisa iinthala zekoroyi, ikoroyi engakavunwa, amasimu wesidiribe kanye nemithi ye-oliva.
6AmaFilista athi: “Ngubani owenze lokhu?”
Kwathiwa: “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana womTimna ngombana umTimna loyo uthethe umkaSamsoni wamnikela ipelesakhe.” AmaFilista enyuka, atjhisa umkaSamsoni kanye noyise. 7USamsoni wathi kumaFilista: “Nakube nenza nje, ngiyafunga ngithi angizukuphumula ngingakazibuyiseleli.”
8Wawephula iinyonganezi, wadala umonakalo omkhulu phezu kwawo. Emva kwalokho wehla wayokuhlala erharheni ledwala le-Ethamu. 9AmaFilista eza ahloma amatendawo kwaJuda, afese aphanga idorobho leLerhi. 10Abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Nisisahlelelani?” AmaFilista athi: “Sifuna ukubamba uSamsoni, simenze asenze sona.”
11Amadoda aziinkulungwana ezintathu wakwaJuda angena ngerharheni ledwala le-Ethamu athi kuSamsoni: “Awazi bonyana amaFilista abusa phezu kwethu na? Yintobani-ke osenze yona le?”
Yena wathi kiwo: “Ngibenze abasenze kimi.”
12Athi kuye: “Sehle kobana sikubambe sikunikele ezandleni zamaFilista.”
Wawaphendula wathi: “Fungani bonyana nina anizungibhudungela.”
13Amadoda lawo athi: “Awa, sizokubopha kwaphela sikunikele ezandleni zawo. Angeze sakubulala.”
Yeke ambopha ngeentambo ezimbili ezitja, amkhupha ngerharheni. 14Kwathi nafika eLerhi, amaFilista amhlangabeza ngetjhada. Nje-ke uMoya kaSomnini wehlela ngamandla phezu kwakhe. Intambo ebe isemikhonwenakhe yanyefa inga yintanjana yelineni nayizwa umlilo, ngokunjalo-ke negade isezandleni zakhe. 15Wafumana umhlathi omutjha kadumbana, welula isandla sakhe wawuthatha. Wamadlha ikulungwana yamadoda ngawo. 16USamsoni wathi:
“Ngomhlathi kadumbana
mbala ngiwakghedlhile,
ngomhlathi kadumbana
ngimadlhe ikulungwana yamadoda.”
17Kuthe bona aqede ukukhuluma, walahla umhlathi lowo. Indawo leyo yabizwa bona yiRamathi-Lerhi. 18Wazizwa omele amanzi, wabiza uSomnini wathi: “Somnini unikele ukuhlula okukhulu okungakokhu ngesandla sencekwayo; alo, ngife ngomrhawu bese ngiwela ezandleni zabantu abangakasokaba na?”
19UZimu waphadlhula indawo esikepetlu eseLerhi, kwaphuma amanzi. Kwathi naselako, wavuseleleka, amandlakhe abuya. Yeke ibizo lendawo leyo kwathiwa yi-Eni-Hakhore. Nanamhlanje indawo leyo isese seLerhi. 20USamsoni wakhokhela ama-Israyeli iminyaka ematjhumi amabili emihleni yamaFilista.
