AbAhluleli 16

₁USamsoni waya eGaza; wabona lapho isifebe, wangena kuso. ₂Kwathiwa kumaGaza: “USamsoni ufikile lapha.” Bamhaqa, bamqamekela ubusuku bonke esangweni lomuzi; bathula ubusuku bonke, bathi: “Makube sekukhanyeni kokusa; khona siyakumbulala.”

₃USamsoni walala kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili; wavuka phakathi kobusuku, wabamba izivalo zesango lomuzi nezinsika zombili, wazincothula kanye nomgoqo, wazibeka emahlombe akhe, wazikhuphulela esiqongweni sentaba ephambi kweHebroni.

₄Kwathi ngasemuva wathanda owesifazane esiGodini saseSoreki ogama lakhe lalinguDelila. ₅Amakhosi amaFilisti enyukela kuye, athi kuye: “Myenge, ubone ukuthi amandla akhe amakhulu aphi nokuthi singamahlula ngani ukuba simbophe, simnqobe; siyakukunika, kube yilowo nalowo, izinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva.”

₆UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi amandla akho amakhulu aphi nokuthi ungaboshwa ngani, unqotshwe.”

₇USamsoni wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngezinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”

₈Amakhosi amaFilisti ayeseletha kuye izinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, wambopha ngazo. ₉Wayenabaqamekeli behlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wayesethi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wayesegqabula izinsinga njengentambo yefilakisi* igqatshulwa, lapho izwa umlilo. Ngalokho amandla akhe awaziwanga.

₁₀Wayesethi uDelila kuSamsoni: “Bheka, udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ake ungitshele manje ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.”

₁₁Wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngamagoda amasha okungasetshenziwanga ngawo, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”

₁₂UDelila wayesethatha amagoda amasha, wambopha ngawo, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Abaqamekeli babehlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wawagqabula ezingalweni zakhe njengomucwana.

₁₃UDelila wayesethi kuSamsoni: “Kuze kube manje udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ngitshele ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.”

Wathi kuye: “Uma weluka amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lami nezintambo zakho zokwelukwa.”

₁₄Wawabethela-ke ngesikhonkwane, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wavuka ebuthongweni, wasincothula isikhonkwane sokweluka nezintambo zokwelukwa.

₁₅Wayesethi kuye: “Ungasho kanjani ukuthi uyangithanda, nxa inhliziyo yakho ingenami na? Usudlale ngami kathathu, awungitshelanga ukuthi amandla akho aphi.” ₁₆Kwathi lapho emcindezela yonke imihla ngamazwi akhe, emgqugquza, wakhathazeka umphefumulo wakhe kwaze kwaba sekufeni.

₁₇Wamtshela inhliziyo yakhe yonke, wathi kuye: “Akuthintanga mpuco ekhanda lami, ngokuba bengingumNaziri* kaNkulunkulu kwasesizalweni sikamame; uma ngiphuculwa, amandla ami ayakumuka kimi, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”

₁₈UDelila wabona ukuthi wayemtshelile yonke inhliziyo yakhe; wathuma wawabiza amakhosi amaFilisti, wathi: “Yenyukani kalokhu, ngokuba ungitshelile yonke inhliziyo yakhe.” Ayesenyukela kuye amakhosi amaFilisti, aletha imali esandleni sawo. ₁₉Wamlalisa ubuthongo emathangeni akhe, wabiza umuntu, waphucula amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lakhe; waqala ukumhlupha, amandla akhe amuka kuye.

₂₀Wathi: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.”

Wavuka ebuthongweni, wathi: “Ngiyakuphuma njengangezinye izikhathi, ngizithintithe.” Kepha wayengazi ukuthi uJehova wayemukile kuye.

₂₁AmaFilisti ambamba, awakhipha amehlo akhe; amehlisela eGaza, ambopha ngamaketanga; wasila etilongweni. ₂₂Nokho izinwele zekhanda lakhe zaqala ukuhluma futhi esephuculiwe.

₂₃Amakhosi amaFilisti abuthana ukuba ahlabele uDagoni unkulunkulu wawo umhlatshelo omkhulu, athokoze, ngokuba athi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele uSamsoni isitha sethu esandleni sethu.”

₂₄Abantu bambona, bamtusa unkulunkulu wabo, ngokuba bathi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele esandleni sethu isitha sethu nomchithi wezwe lakithi obulele abaningi phakathi kwethu.”

₂₅Kwathi lapho izinhliziyo zabo sezesasile, bathi: “Mbizeni uSamsoni ukuba asidlalele.” Bambiza uSamsoni esetilongweni, wadlala phambi kwabo, bambeka phakathi kwezinsika. ₂₆USamsoni wathi kumfana owayembambe ngesandla: “Ngivumele ukuphatha izinsika indlu emi ngazo ukuba ngencike kuzo.” ₂₇Indlu yayigcwele abesilisa nabesifazane; namakhosi onke amaFilisti ayelapho; ophahleni kwakukhona abantu kungathi abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, abesilisa nabesifazane, ababebukela ukudlala kukaSamsoni. ₂₈USamsoni wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Nkosi Nkulunkulu, ake ungikhumbule, ungiqinise kube kanye kuphela, Nkulunkulu, ukuba ngiphindise kumaFilisti ngempindiselo ibenye ngenxa yamehlo ami omabili.” ₂₉USamsoni wayesebamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi eyayimi ngazo indlu, wencika kuzo, kwenye ngesandla sokunene, kwenye ngesokhohlo. ₃₀USamsoni wathi: “Mangife namaFilisti.” Wakhothama ngamandla akhe onke, indlu yawela phezu kwamakhosi naphezu kwabo bonke abantu ababe kuyo. Abafileyo ababulalayo ekufeni kwakhe babebaningi kunabo ababulalayo ekuhambeni kwakhe.

₃₁Base behla abafowabo nayo yonke indlu kayise, bamthatha, bamenyusa, bammbela phakathi kweSora ne-Eshitawoli ethuneni likaManowa uyise. Wamahlulela u-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amabili.