Umshado kaSamsoni nemfumbe yakhe
1USamsoni wehlela eThimna; wabona owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti. 2Wakhuphuka, wabatshela uyise nonina, wathi: “Ngibonile owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti; ngalokho ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.”
3Uyise nonina base bethi kuye: “Akakho yini owesifazane phakathi kwamadodakazi abafowenu noma phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bami, ukuze uye kuthatha umfazi kumaFilisti angasokile, na?”
USamsoni wathi kuyise: “Ngithathele yena, ngokuba uyathandeka kimi.” 4Kepha uyise nonina babengazi ukuthi lokho kwavela kuJehova, ngokuba wayefuna ithuba lokulwa namaFilisti. Ngaleso sikhathi amaFilisti ayebusa phezu kuka-Israyeli. 5USamsoni wayesehla noyise nonina, baya eThimna, bafika ezivinini zaseThimna; bheka, ibhongo lengonyama lamhlangabeza libhodla. 6UMoya kaJehova wafika phezu kwakhe ngamandla, walidwengula kungathi udwengula izinyane lembuzi, engaphethe lutho esandleni sakhe: kepha akabatshelanga uyise nonina abekwenzile. 7Wehla, wakhuluma nowesifazane; wathandeka kuSamsoni.
8Emva kwesikhathi wabuya ukuba amthathe, waphambuka ukuyobona isidumbu sengonyama; bheka, kwakukhona iqulo lezinyosi esidumbini sengonyama kanye noju. 9Wazitapa ngezandla zakhe, wahamba, wahamba edla, wafika kuyise nonina, wabapha, badla nabo; kepha akabatshelanga ukuthi wayetape izinyosi esidumbini sengonyama.
10Uyise wehla, waya kulowo wesifazane, uSamsoni wenza idili khona, ngokuba zazenze njalo izinsizwa. 11Kwathi lapho bembona, baletha abayeni abangamashumi amathathu ukuba babe naye.
12USamsoni wathi kubo: “Ake ngininike imfumbe; uma ningitshela yona kahle ngezinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili, niyiqandele, ngiyakuninika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu; 13kepha uma ningenakuyiqandela kimi, niyakunginika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu.”
Bathi kuye: “Yisho imfumbe yakho ukuba siyizwe.”
14Wayesethi kubo:
“Kodlayo kwaphuma ukudla,
konamandla kwavela okumnandi.”
Babengenakuyiqandela imfumbe ngezinsuku ezintathu.
15Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bathi kumkaSamsoni: “Yenza umyeni wakho ukuba asichasisele imfumbe, funa sikushise wena nendlu kayihlo ngomlilo; nisimemele ukuba nisidle na? Akunjalo na?”
16UmkaSamsoni wakhala phambi kwakhe, wathi: “Uyangizonda kuphela, awungithandi; unikile abakithi imfumbe, awungitshelanga yona.”
Wathi kuye: “Bheka, angibatshelanga ubaba nomame, ngiyakukutshela wena na?” 17Wakhala phambi kwakhe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, lisekhona idili labo; kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa wayesemtshela, ngokuba wamcindezela kakhulu; wayisho imfumbe kwabakubo.
18Abantu bomuzi bathi kuye ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lingakashoni ilanga:
“Kuyini okumnandi kunezinyosi?
Kuyini okunamandla kunengonyama na?”
Wathi kubo:
“Uma beningalimanga ngesithokazi sami,
ngabe ningayiqandelanga imfumbe yami.”
19UMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, wehlela e-Ashikeloni, wabulala abantu abangamashumi amathathu kubo, wathatha isambatho sabo, wabanika abayiqandele imfumbe izingubo zokuphendulela. Intukuthelo yakhe yavutha, wenyukela endlini kayise. 20Kepha umkaSamsoni wanikwa kumngane wakhe owabe ngomunye wabayeni bakhe.
