USamsoni nezimpungushe ezingamakhulu amathathu
1Kodwa kwathi emva kwesikhathi, ngesikhathi sokuvuna ukolweni, uSamsoni wahambela umkakhe enezinyane lembuzi; wathi: “Ngiyakungena kumkami ekamelweni.” Kepha uyise kavumanga ukuba angene.
2Uyise wathi: “Bengithi impela umalile nokumala; ngalokho ngamnika umngane wakho; udadewabo omelamayo kamuhle kunaye na? Ake umthathe esikhundleni sakhe.”
3USamsoni wathi kubo: “Okwalesi sikhathi anginacala kumaFilisti, uma ngiwenzela okubi.” 4USamsoni wahamba, wabamba izimpungushe ezingamakhulu amathathu, wathatha izikhuni, wazibhekisana ngemisila, wafaka isikhuni phakathi kwemisila ngamibili. 5Wazithungela izikhuni ngomlilo, wazivumela ukuba zingene phakathi kwamabele amaFilisti engakavunwa, washisa amaqhinqa nezinhlanga zamabele kanye nezivini neminqumo.
6AmaFilisti ayesethi: “Ngubani okwenzile lokho na?”
Bathi: “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana wowaseThimna, ngokuba yena uthathe umkakhe, wamnika umngane wakhe.” AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amshisa yena noyise ngomlilo. 7USamsoni wathi kubo: “Uma nenze njalo, impela ngiyakuphindisela kini, andukuba ngiyeke.” 8Wababulala ithebe nethanga ngokubulala okukhulu; wehla, wahlala ofantwini lwedwala lase-Etamu.
USamsoni ubulala ngomhlathi wembongolo
9AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amisa kwaJuda, ahlakazeka eLehi. 10Abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Nisikhuphukeleleni na?”
Bathi: “Sikhuphukele ukuba simbophe uSamsoni, senze kuye njengalokho enze kithina.”
11Abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu bakwaJuda behlela ofantwini lwedwala lase-Etamu, bathi kuSamsoni: “Awukwazi yini ukuthi amaFilisti abusa phezu kwethu na? Kuyini, pho, lokho okwenzile kithina na?”
Wathi kubo: “Njengalokho benza kimi, ngenze njalo kubo.”
12Base bethi kuye: “Sehlele ukuba sikubophe, ukuze sikunikele esandleni samaFilisti.”
USamsoni wathi kubo: “Fungani kimi ukuthi nina aniyikungisukela.”
13Basho kuye, bathi: “Qha, kepha siyakukubopha nokukubopha, sikunikele esandleni sawo, kodwa impela asiyikukubulala.” Bambopha ngezintambo ezimbili ezintsha, bamkhuphulela edwaleni. 14Lapho efika eLehi, amaFilisti amhlangabeza ekhamuluka; uMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, izintambo ezazisezingalweni zakhe zaba njengefilakisi* elishiswe ngomlilo, nezibopho zakhe zancibilika, zasuka ezandleni zakhe. 15Wafumana umhlathi wembongolo osemusha, welula isandla sakhe, wawuthatha, wabulala ngawo abantu abayinkulungwane.
16Wathi uSamsoni:
“Ngomhlathi wembongolo ngibulele inqwaba,
yebo, izinqwaba ezimbili,
ngomhlathi wembongolo
abantu abayinkulungwane.”
17Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma, wawulahla umhlathi esandleni sakhe; leyo ndawo yathiwa iRamati Lehi.
18Wayesomile kakhulu, wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Wenzile lokhu kukhululeka okukhulu ngesandla senceku yakho; kepha manje sengiyakufa ukoma, ngiwele esandleni sabangasokile.” 19Kodwa uNkulunkulu wadabula isigoxi esiseLehi, kwaphuma amanzi kuso; lapho esephuzile, umoya wakhe wabuya, wahlumeleleka; ngalokho igama laso labizwa ngokuthi i-Eni Hakore eliseLehi kuze kube namuhla.
20Wahlulela u-Israyeli ngezinsuku zamaFilisti iminyaka engamashumi amabili.
