UBawo wethu uthembisa unyana
AmaSirayeli anikelwa esandleni samaFilisti iminyaka emashumi mane. Isithunywa sikaBawo wethu sithembisa umfazi ongazaliyo unyana oya kwahlulelwa kwasesizalweni, sibuye xa uManowa ecela. Igama lomndwendweli lingaphaya kokuqonda; unyuka ngelangatye lesibingelelo. USamson uyazalwa, asikelelwe.
13 1Babuya oonyana bakaSirayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaBawo wethu, waza wabanikela esandleni samaFilisti iminyaka emashumi mane.
2Kwakukho indoda yaseTsora, yomlibo wakwaDan, egama linguManowa; umkakhe ebengazali, engenamntwana.
3Sabonakala isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuloo mfazi, sathi kuye: “Ube ungazali, ungenamntwana, kodwa uya kumitha uzale unyana. 4Ngoko ke, zigcine ungaseli iwayini okanye isiselo esinxilisayo, ungadli nto iyinqambi, 5kuba uya kumitha uzale unyana. Isitshetshe sokucheba asiyi kusondela entlokweni yakhe, kuba lo mntwana uya kuba ngumahlulwa kaBawo wethu kwasesizalweni, aze aqale ukuwasindisa amaSirayeli esandleni samaFilisti.”
6Waya umfazi waxelela indoda yakhe, wathi: “Kufike kum umntu kaThixo; imbonakalo yakhe yayinjengembonakalo yesithunywa sikaBawo wethu, yoyikeka kunene. Andimbuzanga apho avela khona, kanjalo akandixelelanga igama lakhe.” 7Kodwa wathi kum: “Uya kumitha uzale unyana. Ngoko musa ukusela iwayini nesiselo esinxilisayo, ungadli nto iyinqambi, kuba lo mntwana uya kuba ngumahlulwa kaBawo wethu kwasesizalweni kude kube semini yokufa kwakhe.”
8Waza uManowa watarhuzisa kuBawo wethu, wathi: “Camagu, Nkosi yam, umntu kaThixo omthumileyo makabuye eze kuthi, asifundise ukuba senze ntoni na kulo mntwana oza kuzalwa.”
9UBawo wethu waliva ilizwi likaManowa; isithunywa sikaBawo wethu saphinda seza kuloo mfazi, owayehleli endle, kodwa uManowa indoda yakhe wayengekho naye. 10Umfazi wagidima ngokukhawuleza, waya kuyibikela indoda yakhe, esithi: “Khangela, ubonakele kum loo mntu owayeze kum ngaloo mini!”
11Wesuka uManowa, walandela umkakhe, weza kuloo ndoda. Wathi kuyo: “Nguwe na laa ndoda yathetha nomfazi?” Yathi: “Ndim.”
12Wathi uManowa: “Xa athe azaliseka amazwi akho, yoba yintoni na eya kulawula ubomi nomsebenzi walo mntwana?”
13Sathi isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuManowa: “Umkakho makazigcine kuko konke endamxelela kona. 14Makangadli nto yenziweyo ngomdiliya, angaseli iwayini nesiselo esinxilisayo, angadli nto iyinqambi. Makakugcine konke endamwisela umthetho ngako.”
15Wathi uManowa kwisithunywa sikaBawo wethu: “Khawusivumele sikubambe, sikulungisele itakane lebhokhwe.”
16Sathi isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuManowa: “Nokuba ningandibamba, andiyi kudla kukudla kwenu; kodwa ukuba nithe nalungisa idini elinyukayo, wolinikela kuBawo wethu.” (UManowa wayengazi ukuba lo mhambi uyisithunywa sikaBawo wethu.).
17Wathi uManowa kwisithunywa sikaBawo wethu: “Ngubani na igama lakho, ukuze sikuzukise xa athe azaliseka amazwi akho?”
18Sathi isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuye: “Yini na ukuba ubuze igama lam? Lingaphaya kokuqonda.”
19Wathabatha ke uManowa itakane lebhokhwe nomnikelo wokudla, wakunyusela phezu kweliwa kuBawo wethu, yena owenza izimanga, bebukele ooManowa nomkakhe. 20Kwathi, xa ilangatye lesibingelelo linyuka lisinga ezulwini, isithunywa sikaBawo wethu senyuka elangatyeni lesibingelelo. Babona ooManowa nomkakhe, bawa ngobuso emhlabeni. 21Asazanga saphinda sabonakala isithunywa sikaBawo wethu kuManowa nakumkakhe. Wandula ke uManowa waqonda ukuba sasiyisithunywa sikaBawo wethu. 22Wathi uManowa kumkakhe: “Siya kufa nokufa, kuba simbonile uBawo wethu!”
23Wathi umkakhe kuye: “Ukuba uBawo wethu ebefuna ukusibulala, ngekhe alamkele idini elinyukayo nomnikelo wokudla ezandleni zethu, okanye asibonise zonke ezi zinto, okanye asivise ezi zinto ngoku.” 24Wazala umfazi unyana, wamthiya igama elinguSamson. Wakhula umntwana, waza uBawo wethu wamsikelela. 25Waza uMoya kaBawo wethu waqala ukumshukumisa eMahane yakwaDan, phakathi kweTsora ne-Eshtawoli.
