Abahluleli
16:1 Khona-ke uSamsoni waya eGaza, futhi wabona lapho isifebe, futhi wangena kuye.
16:2 Kwasekutshelwa abaseGaza ukuthi, USamsoni ufikile lapha. Futhi bona
wamzungeza, wamqamekela ubusuku bonke esangweni leNtando
umuzi, bathula ubusuku bonke, besithi: Ekuseni, nxa sekusile
ngosuku, sizombulala.
16:3 USamsoni walala kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili, wavuka phakathi kobusuku, wathatha iminyango
wesango lomuzi, nezinsika zombili, wahamba nazo, umgoqo
nakho konke, wakubeka emahlombe akhe, wakukhuphulela phezulu
wentaba ephambi kweHebroni.
16:4 Kwathi emva kwalokho wathanda owesifazane esigodini saseSigodini
uSoreki ogama lakhe lalinguDelila.
16:5 Amakhosi amaFilisti akhuphukela kuye, athi kuye:
Myenge, ubone ukuthi akukuphi amandla akhe amakhulu, nokuthi ungathini
singamehlula, ukuze simbophe, simhlupe;
uzokunika thina sonke izinhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane nekhulu.
" 16:6 UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: "Ake ungitshele ukuthi isiphi isikhulu sakho
amandla akhona, futhi ongaboshwa ngakho ukukuhlupha.
" 16:7 USamsoni wathi kuye, "Uma bengibopha ngezinhlamvu eziyisikhombisa eziluhlaza
lapho-ke ngizakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.
16:8 Khona-ke amakhosi amaFilisti akhuphukela kuye izintambo eziyisikhombisa eziluhlaza
eyayingakomiswanga, wayibopha ngayo.
16:9 Manje kwakukhona amadoda aqamekele, ehlezi naye ekamelweni. Futhi
wathi kuye: AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni. Futhi wahlephula
izintambo, njengentambo yentambo igqashulwa lapho ithinta umlilo. Ngakho
amandla akhe ayengaziwa.
16:10 UDelila wathi kuSamsoni, Bheka, udlale ngami, wangitshela.
amanga: ake ungitshele manje ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.
16:11 Wathi kuye: "Uma bengibopha ngiqine ngezintambo ezintsha
lapho ngisebenza, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.
16:12 UDelila wayesethatha izintambo ezintsha, wambopha ngazo, wathi kuye
wathi, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni. Futhi kwakukhona abaqamekeli
ehlala ekamelweni. Futhi wazihlephula ezingalweni zakhe njengokungathi a
umucu.
16:13 UDelila wathi kuSamsoni, Kuze kube manje udlale ngami, wangitshela.
amanga: ngitshele ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani. Wathi kuye: Uma
weluka izihluthu eziyisikhombisa zekhanda lami ngentambo.
" 16:14 Futhi wayiqinisa ngesikhonkwane, futhi wathi kuye: "AmaFilisti
phezu kwakho, Samsoni. Wavuka ebuthongweni wahamba
isikhonkwane sogodo, kanye newebhu.
16:15 Wathi kuye, Ungasho kanjani ukuthi: Ngiyakuthanda, kanti inhliziyo yakho?
akekho kimi? udlale ngami kathathu, kawukhulumanga
mina lapho alele khona amandla akho amakhulu.
16:16 Kwathi, lapho emcindezela nsuku zonke ngamazwi akhe, futhi
wamcindezela, waze wakhathazeka umphefumulo wakhe kwaze kwaba sekufeni;
16:17 Wamtshela inhliziyo yakhe yonke, wathi kuye: "Akuzange kufike
insingo ekhanda lami; ngoba mina ngingumNazaretha kaNkulunkulu kusukela kwami
esibelethweni sikanina: uma ngiphuca, amandla ami ayakusuka kimi, nami
bayoba buthakathaka, futhi babe njengomunye umuntu.
16:18 Futhi lapho uDelila ebona ukuthi wayemtshelile yonke inhliziyo yakhe, wathumela futhi
yabiza izikhulu zamaFilisti, yathi: “Khuphukani ngalesi sikhathi;
ungibonisile yonke inhliziyo yakhe. Kwasekufika amakhosi amaFilisti
beza kuye, baletha imali esandleni sabo.
16:19 Futhi wamlalisa emathangeni akhe; wabiza indoda, nayo
waphuca izihluthu eziyisikhombisa zekhanda lakhe; futhi waqala
umhluphe, amandla akhe asuka kuye.
16:20 Wathi, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni. Futhi waphaphama
ubuthongo bakhe, wathi: Ngiyakuphuma njengakwezinye izikhathi, nginyakaze
mina. Futhi wayengazi ukuthi uJehova wayemukile kuye.
16:21 Kodwa amaFilisti amthatha, futhi wamkhipha amehlo akhe, futhi amehlisa
eGaza, bambopha ngezibopho zethusi; wagaya phakathi
indlu yejele.
16:22 Nokho izinwele zekhanda lakhe zaqala ukukhula futhi ngemva kokuba ephuciwe.
16:23 Khona-ke amakhosi amaFilisti abuthana ukuze anikele a
umhlatshelo omkhulu kuDagoni unkulunkulu wabo, bajabule, ngokuba bathi: "Yethu."
uNkulunkulu unikele uSamsoni isitha sethu esandleni sethu.
16:24 Futhi lapho abantu bembona, badumisa unkulunkulu wabo, ngoba bathi: "Wethu."
unkulunkulu unikele esandleni sethu isitha sethu, nombhubhisi wethu
izwe, elabulala abaningi bethu.
16:25 Kwathi lapho izinhliziyo zabo seyejabule, bathi: "Biza."
kuSamsoni, ukuze asenze sidlale. Basebembiza uSamsoni phakathi
indlu yetilongo; wabenza badlalisa, bammisa phakathi kwezintaba
izinsika.
" 16:26 USamsoni wathi kumfana owayembambe ngesandla, "Ngivumele ukuba mina
ngingazizwa izinsika indlu emi phezu kwazo, ukuze ngeyame kuzo
bona.
16:27 Manje indlu yayigcwele amadoda nabesifazane; kanye nawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba
AmaFilisti ayelapho; kwakukhona phezu kophahla kungathi amathathu
izinkulungwane zamadoda nabesifazane, ababebuka uSamsoni edlala.
16:28 USamsoni wakhuleka kuJehova, wathi: "O Nkosi Nkulunkulu, ngikhumbule
ngiyakuncenga, ungiqinise, ngiyakuncenga, kube kanye kuphela, O Nkulunkulu, ukuthi ngiqhubeke
ngingaphindiselwa kumaFilisti kanye nje ngenxa yamehlo ami womabili.
16:29 USamsoni wabamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi, lapho indlu
wema, laphakanyiswa phezu kwalo, yilowo ngesandla sakhe sokunene, futhi
lomunye ngesinxele.
16:30 Wathi uSamsoni, "Mangife kanye namaFilisti. Wakhothama
ngamandla akhe onke; indlu yawela phezu kwamakhosi naphezu kwazo zonke
abantu ababelapho. Banjalo abafileyo ababulala ekufeni kwakhe
kunalabo ababulala ekuphileni kwakhe.
16:31 Khona-ke abafowabo kanye nayo yonke indlu kayise behla, bathatha
wamkhuphula, wammbela phakathi kweSora ne-Eshitawoli ngasentshonalanga
indawo yokungcwaba kaManowa uyise. Wamahlulela u-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amabili.