Judges 14
1 USamsoni wehlela eThimna, eselapho wabona enye yamadodakazi amaFilisti.
2 Wayesenyuka, wabikela uyise nonina, wathi: “Ngibone owesifazane womFilisti eThimna; ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.”
3 Abazali bakhe bathi kuye: “Akukho ntombi yini phakathi kwezihlobo zakho noma phakathi kwabantu bakithi bonke, ukuba usungahamba uyothatha umfazi kumaFilisti angasokile, na?” Kodwa uSamsoni wathi kuyise: “Ngithathele yena, ngoba ngiyamthanda.”
4 Uyise nonina babengazi ukuthi lokhu kuvela kuSimakade, ngokuba wayefuna ithuba lokuthi alwe namaFilisti. Ngaleso sikhathi amaFilisti ayebusa phezu kuka-Israyeli.
5 USamsoni wayesehla noyise nonina, baya eThimna. Lapho befika esivinini eThimna, kwaqhamuka masinyane ibhongo lengonyama, leza kuye libhodla.
6 UMoya kaSimakade wehlela kuye ngamandla, walidwengula ngezandla zakhe kwangathi udwengula izinyane lembuzi. Wayengaphethe lutho esandleni sakhe, kodwa akabatshelanga oyise nonina lokho ayekwenzile.
7 Wayesehla, wakhuluma nowesifazane, wamgculisa lowo owesifazane uSamsoni.
8 Emveni kwesikhathi wabuyela khona ukuze aganwe nguye. Waphambuka ukuyobheka isidumbu sengonyama. Bheka, kwakunequlu lezinyosi noju esidunjini sengonyama.
9 Wazitapa ngezandla zakhe, waqhubeka ehamba edla. Lapho efika kuyise nonina, wabanika nabo badla, kodwa akabatshelanga ukuthi uju wayelutape esidunjini sengonyama.
10 Uyise wehla, waya kowesifazane, uSamsoni wenza idili lapho njengokuba izinsizwa zazijwayele ukwenza.
11 Lapho abantu bembona, baletha kuye izinsizwa ezingama-30 ukuba zizomzimazisa.
12 USamsoni wathi kuzo: “Ake ngininike imfumbe, ngibone ukuthi ningangichazela yini yona ngezinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili. Uma nikwazile ngizoninika izingubo zelineni ezingama-30 nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingama-30.
13 Kepha uma nehluleka ukungichazela yona, niyonginika izingubo zelineni ezingama-30 nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingama-30.” Zathi kuye: “Sitshele imfumbe yakho sifuna ukuyizwa.”
14 Wayesethi kuzo: “Kodlayo kwaphuma ukudla, konamandla kwavela okumnandi.” Ezinsukwini ezintathu azikwazanga ukuyichaza imfumbe leyo.
15 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa zathi kumkaSamsoni: “Mnxenxe umyeni wakho ukuba asichazele imfumbe, kungenjalo sizokushisa ngomlilo wena nendlu kayihlo. Ngabe usimemele lapha ukuba nizosiphundla sibe mpofu, akunjalo na?”
16 Ngalokho-ke umkaSamsoni wakhala phambi kwakhe, wathi: “Uyangizonda, awungithandi neze. Ubuze abantu bakithi imfumbe, kodwa awukaze ungichazele mina.” USamsoni wamphendula wathi: “Bheka, angikaze ngimtshele ubaba noma umama imbala. Pho ngiyakukutshela kanjani wena, na?”
17 Wakhala phambi kwakhe kwaze kwaphela izinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili labo, kodwa ngenxa yokuba wayelokhu embelesele, ngosuku lwesikhombisa uSamsoni wamtshela. Wayesebachazela abakubo imfumbe.
18 Amadoda omuzi athi kuye ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lingakashoni ilanga: “Yini emnandi kunoju na? Yini enamandla kunebhubesi na?” Wayesethi kuwo: “Ukuba anilimanga ngesithole sami, ngabe aniyitholanga incazelo yemfumbe yami.”
19 UMoya kaSimakade wehlela phezu kwakhe ngamandla, uSamsoni wayesehlela e-Ashikeloni. Wabulala amadoda angama-30, wawaphanga. Labo ababechaze imfumbe wabanika izingubo zokuphendulela. Wabuyela endlini kayise ethukuthele kakhulu.
20 UmkaSamsoni waganiselwa umngani owayekade engumkhaphi kaSamsoni.