1Ke kaloku ekuhambeni kwexesha uSamson watyelela umkakhe xa kuvunwa ingqolowa. Wahamba eqhuba ibhokhwe. Wafika wathi kumkhwe wakhe: “Ndifuna khe ndiye egumbini lomkam.”
Kambe ke yena wala, 2esithi: “Bendiba akusamfuni mpela, ndaza ke ndamnikela kumhlobo wakho ukuba abe ngumkakhe. Phofu udade wabo omncinci yinzwakazi kunaye; ngoko ke kunganjani useluthatha yena?”
3Ke uSamson wathi: “Okwesi isihlandlo ndimsulwa kuyo nayiphi na into endiyenza kumaFilistiya!” 4Ke kaloku wahamba wabamba amakhulu amathathu eempungutye. Wazidibanisa ngemisila ngambini ngambini, ebophelela ukhuni olunevithi apho ekudibaneni kwemisila. 5Ezo zikhuni wazintumeka ngomlilo, wazikhulula iimpungutye, zabalekela emasimini anengqolowa amaFilistiya. Ngale ndlela ke kwatsha izipha zengqolowa eseyivuniwe ngokunjalo neyayingekavunwa. Yatsha nemiyezo yediliya nomnquma.
6Athe amaFilistiya akubuzisa esithi: “Ngubani owenze le nto?” afumanisa kusithiwa: “NguSamson; ucatshukiswe ngumkhwe wakhe, umfo waseTimna, ngokusuka anikezele umkakhe kumhlobo wakhe.” Ngoko ke amaFilistiya asuka amtshisa loo mfo nentombi leyo.
7USamson wathi ke kuwo: “Oo! Niqhuba ngolu hlobo? Inene, ndiza kunithi chu ndide ndiziphindezele!” 8Wawahlasela, wawabetha wawatshayela. Emva koko waya kuhlala emqolombeni e-Etam.
USamson woyisa amaFilistiya
9AmaFilistiya axhoba ada aya kumisa kwaJuda, ahlasela iLerhi. 10Ke amadoda akwaJuda abuza athi: “Kutheni le nto nize kusihlasela?”
AmaFilistiya aphendula athi: “Size kubamba uSamson; sifuna ukumvisa le nto asivise yona nathi.”
11Kwaphuma amawaka amathathu amadoda apho kwaJuda, aya emqolombeni e-Etam, afika athetha noSamson, athi: “Ungathini ukusenza into enje? Akuyazi into yokuba siphantsi kwamaFilistiya?”
Ke yena wathi: “Hayi, mna ndiwavise le nto ebendivise yona nawo.”
12Ke wona athi: “Size kukukhonkxa, ukuze sikuse kumaFilistiya.”
USamson wathi: “Fungani ukuba anizi kundilimaza ngokwenu.”
13Aphendula ke wona athi: “Hayi, nakanye; nto nje sifuna ukukukhonkxa, sikunikezele kuwo.” Ngenene ke amqamangela ngeentsontelo ezimbini ezintsha, abuya naye apho emqolombeni.
14Uthe ke akufika eLerhi, amaFilistiya eza kuye egxalathelana ekhwaza. Ke kaloku wambeswa amandla nguMoya *kaNdikhoyo, zaza ezo ntsontelo wayebotshwe ngazo iingalo nezandla zaba ngathi ngumsonto ulenywa ngumlilo, zaza zakhululeka nezandla zakhe. 15Wafumana umhlathi wedonki owomeleleyo, wawuthi hlasi, wabulala iwaka lamadoda ngawo.
16Wadanduluka ke wathi:
“Ngomhlathi wedonki ndawatsho aqungquluza.
Ndigeqe iwaka lamadoda ngomhlathi wedonki.”
17Emva koko ke wawulahla umhlathi lowo, le ndawo yayisenzeka kuyo le nto wathi yiRamati-lerhi.
18USamson wasuka wanxanwa gqitha, waza wazibika kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Mna sicaka sakho olu loyiso ndilufumene ngawe; ngani ke ngoku ukuba ndide ndife lunxano, ndibe sisisulu sezi ntlanga?” 19Ngoko ke uThixo wavula umngxuma emhlabeni khona apho eLerhi, kwaza ke kwaphuma amanzi. Wasela ke uSamson, abuya amandla akhe, waziva ehlaziyekile. Loo ndawo ke kwathiwa yiEn-hakore. Nangoku ke isekho apho eLerhi.
20Yaba yiminyaka emashumi mabini uSamson ewakhokela amaSirayeli ngemihla yamaFilistiya.
