Tikhulu
16 Ngalelinye lilanga, Samsoni waya eGaza lapho afike wabona khona ingwadla futsi wangena waya kuyo. 2 Bantfu baseGaza batjelwa kwatsiwa: “Samsoni ufikile lapha.” Ngako batungeleta leyo ndzawo futsi bambhacela busuku bonkhe egedeni lalelidolobha kuze balungele kumhlasela. Bahlala bathulisa busuku bonkhe, bacabanga batsi: “Nakuphuma lilanga, sitambulala.”
3 Nanobe kunjalo, Samsoni walala kwaze kwabasekhatsi nebusuku. Wavuka ekhatsi nebusuku wanyomula iminyango yeligede lelidolobha waphindze watsatsa tinsika talo letimbili kanye nensimbi yekulivala. Wakubeka emahlombe akhe, wakwetfwala futsi wakhuphukela nako esicongweni sentsaba lebeyibukene neHebroni.
4 Ngemuva kwaloko watsandzana nentfombi yaseSihosheni saseSoreki, libito layo lebekunguDelila.+ 5 Ngako baholi bemaFilisti baya kulentfombi batsi: “Mkhohlise*+ kuze utfole kutsi yini lementa abe nemandla langaka nekutsi yini lesingayenta kuze simehlule futsi simbophe bese siyamncoba. Nawusentela loku, ngamunye wetfu utakubhadala ngetinhlavu telisiliva letingu-1 100.”
6 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi Delila watsi kuSamsoni: “Ngicela ungitjele kutsi uwatsatsaphi lamandla langaka futsi yini lengasetjentiswa kuze uboshwe uphindze uncotjwe.” 7 Samsoni watsi kuye: “Nabangangibopha ngetintsambo tebutjoki* letingu-7 letinsha naletingakomiswa, ngitawuphelelwa ngemandla ngifanane nawo onkhe emadvodza.” 8 Ngako baholi besive semaFilisti baletsela Delila tintsambo tebutjoki letingu-7 letinsha naletingakomiswa futsi wabopha Samsoni ngato. 9 Ngaleso sikhatsi emaFilisti abebhace kulelinye likamelo laDelila, futsi Delila wamemeta watsi: “Nankha emaFilisti sekakhona Samsoni!” Nakeva loko wavele wadzabula letintsambo tebutjoki melula ngendlela intsambo yeflekisi* ledzabuka ngayo nayisondzetwa emlilweni.+ Behluleka-ke kwati kutsi emandla akhe uwatsatsaphi.
10 Ngemuva kwaloko Delila watsi kuSamsoni: “Uyabona kutsi ungente silima,* wangiyenga. Ngicela nyalo ungitjele kutsi yini lengentiwa kuze uboshwe.” 11 Wamphendvula watsi: “Nangabe bangibopha ngetintsambo letinsha letingakaze tisetjentiswe, ngitawuphelelwa ngemandla ngifanane nawo onkhe emadvodza.” 12 Ngako Delila watsatsa tintsambo letinsha wambopha ngato, wabese uyamemeta utsi: “Nankha emaFilisti sekakhona Samsoni!” (Sonkhe lesikhatsi bekunebantfu labambhacele kulelinye lemakamelo aDelila.) Ngaleso sikhatsi Samsoni wadzabula letintsambo emikhonweni yakhe kungatsi udzabula umtiya.+
13 Ngemuva kwaloko Delila watsi kuSamsoni: “Kuze kube ngunyalo ungente silima futsi wangiyenga.+ Ngitjele kutsi yini lengentiwa kuze uboshwe.” Samsoni watsi: “Ningangibopha naningeluka letimphondvo letingu-7 tetinwele letisenhloko yami nisebentisa imitiya.” 14 Delila wase uyatibopha waticinisa ngelugodvo futsi wamemeta watsi: “Nankha emaFilisti sekakhona Samsoni!” Ngako wavuka ebutfongweni wavele wanyomula lolugodvo kanye nalomtiya.
15 Ngaleso sikhatsi, Delila watsi kuye: “Ungasho kanjani kutsi uyangitsandza+ kodvwa inhlitiyo yakho ibe ingekho kimi? Ungente silima emahlandla lamatsatfu futsi awukangitjeli kutsi uwatsatsaphi lamandla langaka.”+ 16 Ngenca yekutsi malanga onkhe bekasolo ambelesela futsi amcindzetela, Samsoni waphelelwa sineke sekafisa nekufa.+ 17 Ngako wagcine amvulele inhlitiyo yakhe watsi: “Angikaze ngihhule enhloko ngobe ngingumNaziri waNkulunkulu kusukela ngatalwa.*+ Nangingahhulwa, emandla ami atawuhamba kimi futsi ngibe butsakatsaka ngifanane nawo onkhe lamanye emadvodza.”
18 Ngesikhatsi Delila abona kutsi Samsoni sowumvulele inhlitiyo, ngekushesha wabita baholi bemaFilisti+ watsi kubo: “Khuphukelani ngalapha ngobe sewungivulele inhlitiyo yakhe.” Ngako labaholi bemaFilisti bakhuphukela kuDelila bamletsela lemali. 19 Walalisa Samsoni emadvolweni akhe. Ngemuva kwaloko wabita indvodza futsi watsi ayimhhule letimphondvo letingu-7 tetinwele letisenhloko yakhe. Wabese ucala kutentela lakufunako kuye ngobe emandla aSamsoni besekaphumile kuye. 20 Ngaleso sikhatsi Delila wammemeta watsi: “Nankha emaFilisti sekakhona Samsoni!” Samsoni wavuka ebutfongweni wase utsi: “Ngitawuphumela ngephandle njengobe ngentile etikhatsini letendlulile+ futsi ngitawukhululeka.” Kodvwa bekangati kutsi Jehova sewumshiyile. 21 Ngako emaFilisti ambamba ase amkupuluta emehlo. Ngemuva kwaloko ewuka naye aya eGaza ambophe ngetinsimbi letimbili telitfusi futsi amnika umsebenti wekusila lokutinhlavu ejele. 22 Kodvwa tinwele takhe tacala kukhula ngemuva kwekutsi bamhhule.+
23 Baholi bemaFilisti bahlangana ndzawonye kuze bente umhlatjelo lomkhulu kuDagoni+ nkulunkulu wabo futsi bahalalisa ngobe bebatsi: “Dagoni nkulunkulu wetfu unikele sitsa lesinguSamsoni esandleni setfu!” 24 Ngesikhatsi bantfu bambona, badvumisa nkulunkulu wabo batsi: “Dagoni nkulunkulu wetfu unikele sitsa setfu esandleni setfu, leso lebesisolo sibangela umonakalo eveni letfu+ futsi sabulala linyenti letfu.”+
25 Ngenca yekutsi tinhlitiyo tabo betijabule kakhulu, batsi: “Bitani Samsoni sitohlekisa ngaye.” Ngako bambita ejele kuze batohlekisa ngaye futsi bammisa emkhatsini wetinsika talendlu. 26 Samsoni wase utsi kulomfanyana lobekabambe sandla sakhe: “Ngicela ungitsintsise letinsika letisekele lendlu kuze ngitosima kuto.” 27 (Lendlu beyigcwele emadvodza nebafati. Bonkhe baholi bemaFilisti bebakhona futsi etulu eluphahleni bekunemadvodza nebafati labebacishe babengu-3 000 labebabukela ngesikhatsi kuhlekiswa ngaSamsoni.)
28 Samsoni+ wakhala kuJehova watsi: “Nkhosi Lephakeme Jehova, ngicela ungikhumbule, futsi ngicela ungicinise,+ kwekugcina nje Nkulunkulu wami. Ngivumele ngitiphindziselele kumaFilisti ngenca yalinye lemehlo ami.”+
29 Samsoni wabese ubambelela kuletinsika letimbili letisemkhatsini lebetisekele lendlu futsi wasima kuto, sandla sakhe sangesekudla sasima kulenye kwase kutsi sangesencele sasima kulena lenye. 30 Samsoni wamemeta watsi: “Angife nemaFilisti!” Wase ufuca letinsika ngawo onkhe emandla akhe futsi lendlu yawela kulabaholi nakubo bonkhe bantfu lebebasekhatsi kuyo.+ Ngako nakafa wabulala bantfu labanyenti kwendlula lebekababulele nakasaphila.+
31 Ngemuva kwesikhatsi, bomnakabo nawo wonkhe umndeni wababe wakhe beta batomlandza. Bamtsatsa futsi bamngcwaba emkhatsini weSora+ ne-Eshtayoli ethuneni lababe wakhe Manowa.+ Samsoni bekabe ngumehluleli waka-Israyeli iminyaka lengu-20.+