Judg 16 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza, lapho abona khona iwule. Walala lalo ngalobobusuku.

Judges 16

USamsoni loDelila

1 Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza, lapho abona khona iwule. Walala lalo ngalobobusuku. 2 Abantu baseGaza batshelwa ukuthi, “USamsoni ulapha!” Ngakho indawo leyo bayihonqolozela bamcathamela ubusuku bonke esangweni ledolobho. Kabenzanga lutho ebusuku, besithi, “Sizambulala emadabukakusa.”

3 Kodwa uSamsoni walala lapho kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili kuphela. Lapho-ke wavuka wabamba izivalo zesango ledolobho, ndawonye lezinsika ezimbili, wakusiphula, umgoqo lakho konke. Wakwetshatha emahlombe akhe, wakuthwalela phezu kwentaba ekhangele iHebhroni.

4 Ngemva kwesikhathi, wathandana lowesifazana esiGodini saseSoreki obizo lakhe lalinguDelila. 5 Ababusi bamaFilisti baya kuye bathi, “Zama ukumhuga ukuthi akutshengise imfihlo yamandla akhe amakhulu kanye lokuthi singamehlula njani ukuze simbophe simnqobe. Omunye lomunye wethu uzakupha amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu alitshumi lanye.”

6 Ngakho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni, “Ngitshela imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu kanye lokuthi ungabotshwa unqotshwe njani.”

7 USamsoni waphendula wathi, “Nxa umuntu angangibopha ngemicilo eyisikhombisa engonyiswanga, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”

8 Ababusi bamaFilisti basebemlethela imichilo eyisikhombisa emitsha eyayingonyiswanga, wambopha ngayo. 9 Kwakulabantu ababecatshile endlini, wasembiza wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilisti asephezu kwakho!” Kodwa yena waqhunsula imichilo kalula njengesiqa sentambo lapho sisondele eduzane lelangabi. Ngakho imfihlo yamandla akhe yayingazakalanga.

10 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni, “Ungenze ngaba yisithutha; uqambe amanga kimi. Khathesi-ke ngitshela ukuthi ungabotshwa njani.”

11 Yena wathi, “Umuntu angangibopha aqinise ngamagoda amatsha angakaze asetshenziswe, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”

12 Ngakho uDelila wathatha amagoda amatsha wambopha ngawo. Kwasekusithi abantu becatshile endlini, wambiza wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilisti asephezu kwakho!” Kodwa yena waqhunsula amagoda ezingalweni zakhe kungathi ayeluhali nje.

13 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni, “Kuze kube khathesi kade ungenza isithutha njalo uqamba amanga kimi. Ngitshela ukuthi ungabotshwa njani.” Yena waphendula wathi, “Ungeluka izixha zenwele zami eziyisikhombisa zibe yisibhebhedu esalukisweni uluqinise ngesiqobotsho, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.” Ngakho kwathi eselele, uDelila wathatha izixha eziyisikhombisa ekhanda lakhe, wazelukela elenjini 14 ngesiqobotsho. Wambiza njalo wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilisti asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni wadonsa isiqobotsho lesalukiso, kanye lesibhebhedu.

15 UDelila wasesithi, kuye, “Ungatsho njani uthi, ‘Ngiyakuthanda,’ wena ungangithembi na? Lokhu ngokwesithathu ungenza isithutha njalo kawungitshelanga imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu.” 16 Ngokubelesela okunje wamcindezela izinsuku zonke waze wadinwa kakhulu.

17 Ngakho wamtshela konke wathi, “Akulampuco eseyake yasetshenziswa ekhanda lami ngoba ngingumNaziri owahlukaniselwa uNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni. Uma ikhanda lami lingaphucwa, amandla ami angasuka kimi, njalo ngingaba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”

18 Kwathi uDelila ebona ukuthi wayesemtshele konke, wathumela ilizwi kubabusi bamaFilisti elithi, “Wozani futhi; usengitshele konke.” Ngakho ababusi bamaFilisti babuyela bephethe isiliva ngezandla zabo. 19 Kwathi esemlalisile ethangazini lakhe, wabiza umuntu ukuba aphuce izixha eziyisikhombisa zezinwele zakhe, ngakho waqalisa ukumnqoba. Amandla akhe aphela kuye.

20 Wasememeza esithi, “Samsoni, amaFilisti asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngizaphuma njengakuqala ngizikhulule.” Kodwa wayengazi ukuthi uJehova wayesemtshiyile.

21 AmaFilisti ambamba, amkopola amehlo akhe asehamba laye eGaza. Esembophe ngamaketane ethusi, amupha umsebenzi wokuchola entolongweni. 22 Kodwa izinwele ekhanda lakhe zaqalisa ukukhula futhi emva kokuphucwa.

Ukufa kukaSamsoni

23 Ababusi bamaFilisti babuthana ukuba banikele umhlatshelo omkhulu kuDagoni unkulunkulu wabo njalo bathokoze besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele uSamsoni, isitha sethu, ezandleni zethu.”

24 Kwathi abantu bembona, badumisa unkulunkulu wabo besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu ezandleni zethu, sona esachitha ilizwe lethu sabulala abanengi bethu.”

25 Bephakathi kokuthokoza, baklabalala bathi, “Lethani uSamsoni azesilibazisa.” Ngakho uSamsoni bayambiza entolongweni, wazabadlalela. Kwathi sebemmise phakathi kwezinsika,

26 uSamsoni wathi encekwini eyayimbambe isandla, “Ngibeka lapho engizathinta khona izinsika ezisekele ithempeli, ukuze ngeyame kuzo.” 27 Ithempeli laligcwele abesilisa labesifazana; bonke ababusi bamaFilisti babekhonapho, njalo phezu kophahla kwakulabesilisa labesifazana ababephose babe yizinkulungwane ezintathu bebukele uSamsoni egida. 28 USamsoni wasekhuleka kuJehova esithi, “O Nkosi Yobukhosi, ake ungikhumbule. O Nkulunkulu, ake ungiqinise kanye nje futhi, kuthi ngokugalela okukodwa ngiphindisele kumaFilisti amehlo ami amabili.” 29 USamsoni wasebamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi, ithempeli elaligxile kuzo. Waziqinisa ngokweyama kuzo, isandla sakhe sokudla sikwenye lesenxele sikwenye, 30 uSamsoni wathi, “Kangife lamaFilisti!” Wafuqa ngamandla akhe wonke, ithempeli lawela phezu kwababusi labantu bonke ababephakathi kwalo. Ngalokho wabulala abantu abanengi ekufeni kwakhe kulalapho esaphila.

31 Emva kwalokho abafowabo labo bonke abendlu kayise bamlanda. Babuya laye bamngcwaba phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli ethuneni likaManowa uyise. Wayekhokhele u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amabili.