14
Ukuthatha KukaSamsoni
1 USamsoni waya eThimina wabona intombi engumFilistiya.
2 Esebuyele, wathi kuyise lonina, “Ngibone intombi engumFilistiya eThimina; ake liyengithathela yona ukuba ibe ngumkami.”
3 Uyise lonina baphendula bathi, “Kanti akulantombi eyamukelekayo yini phakathi kwezihlobo zakho loba phakathi kwabantu bonke bakithi? Usungaze uye kumaFilistiya angasokanga ukuba uthathe umfazi na?”
Kodwa uSamsoni wathi kuyise, “Ngithathela yena. Nguye ongifaneleyo.”
4 (Uyise lonina babengazi ukuthi lokhu kwakuvela kuThixo, owayefuna ithuba lokumelana lamaFilistiya; ngoba ngalesosikhathi ayebusa abako-Israyeli.)
5 USamsoni waya eThimina eloyise lonina. Bathe sebebanga ezivinini zeThimina kwathutsha ibhuklwana lesilwane libhonga liqonde yena.
6 Umoya kaThixo wafika kuye ngamandla wasidabula ngezandla zakhe njengayengakwenza edabula izinyane lembuzi. Kodwa uyise lonina kabatshelanga ayekwenzile.
7 Emva kwalokho wahamba wayakhuluma lowesifazane lowo, wezwa emthanda.
8 Emva kwesikhathi esithile, esebuyele ukuba ayemthatha, waphambuka ukuba abone isidumbu sesilwane. Phakathi kwaso kwasekulomtshitshi wezinyosi ziloluju,
9 waluthapha ngezandla zakhe, wahamba eludla. Esefike ebazalini bakhe, wabapha olunye kodwa kabatshelanga ukuthi wayeluthaphe esidunjini sesilwane.
10 Uyise wahamba ukuyabona owesifazane lowo. USamsoni wenza idili khona, njengokwakungumkhuba wezinsizwa ezithathayo.
11 Ekufikeni kwakhe waphiwa abakhaphi abangamatshumi amathathu.
12 USamsoni wasesithi kubo, “Lalelani ngilitshele ilibho. Lingangitshela ukuthi litshoni phakathi kwensuku eziyisikhombisa zedili, ngizalinika izembatho zelineni ezingamatshumi amathathu lezigqoko ezingamatshumi amathathu.
13 Nxa lingehluleka ukungitshela ukuthi litshoni, kumele linginike izembatho zelineni ezingamatshumi amathathu lezigqoko ezingamatshumi amathathu.”
Bona bathi, “Sitshele ilibho lakho. Litsho silizwe.”
14 Waphendula wathi,
“Kokudlayo, kwaphuma okudliwayo;
kokulamandla kwaphuma okumnandi.”
Behluleka ukuyitsho impendulo okwensuku ezintathu.
15 Ngosuku lwesine bathi kumkaSamsoni, “Ncenga umkakho asichazele ilibho, hlezi sikutshise wena labendlu yakwenu life. Kanti usinxusele ukuzasiphanga lapha na?”
16 Lapho-ke umkaSamsoni waziphosela phezu kwakhe, ebubula esithi, “Uyangizonda. Kawungithandi ngeqiniso. Unike abantu bakithi ilibho; kodwa mina kawungitshelanga ukuthi litshoni.”
Yena waphendula wathi, “Angilichazanga lakubaba lomama, pho ngingalichazelani kuwe na?”
17 Owesifazane lowo wakhala zonke lezinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili. Ngakho ngosuku lwesikhombisa wamtshela, ngoba wayelokhu emphikelela. Laye-ke walichaza ilibho ebantwini bakibo.
18 Kwathi ilanga lingakatshoni ngosuku lwesikhombisa abantu bakulowomuzi bathi kuye,
“Kuyini okumnandi kuloluju na?
Kuyini okulamandla kulesilwane na?”
USamsoni wathi kubo,
“Aluba kalilimanga ngethokazi lami,
belingeke lilichaze ilibho lami.”
19 UMoya kaThixo wasusehlela phezu kwakhe ngamandla. Waya e-Ashikheloni, wabulala abantu bakhona abangamatshumi amathathu, wabemuka konke ababelakho kwathi izigqoko zabo wazinika labo ababechaze ilibho lakhe. Waya endlini kayise evutha ulaka.
20 UmkaSamsoni wasesendiselwa komunye wabakhaphi bakhe owayekhona edilini.