UBawo wethu uhlangula ngoSamson
Ekubeni ekhatywe umfazi wakhe, uSamson utshisa isivuno samaFilisti ngeempungutye ezingamakhulu amathathu, baze bona bamtshise yena noyise ngomlilo. UYuda umnikezela ebotshiwe, kodwa uMoya kaBawo wethu umfikela ngamandla, waza umhlathi we-esile ushiya iwaka lifile. Emva koko, efa linxano, uyakhala.
15 1Kwathi emva kwexesha, ngexesha lokuvuna ingqolowa, uSamson wandwendwela umkakhe ephethe itakane lebhokhwe, esithi: “Mandiye kumkam, egumbini lakhe.” Kodwa uyise womfazi akamvumela ukuba angene.
2Uyise wathi: “Bendicinga ukuba umthiyile nyhani, ngoko ndamnika umlingane wakho. Udade wabo omnci akamhle na ngaphezu kwakhe? Mthabathe yena endaweni yakhe.”
3Wathi uSamson kubo: “Ngesi sihlandlo andinatyala kumaFilisti xa ndiwenzakalisa.” 4USamson waya wabamba iimpungutye ezingamakhulu amathathu, wathabatha izikhuni ezivuthayo, wajikanisa imisila yazo yajongana, waza wabophelela isikhuni esinye phakathi kwemisila emibini. 5Wazilumeka izikhuni, wazindulula iimpungutye emasimini engqolowa emiyo amaFilisti, watshisa izitha zengqolowa, nengqolowa emiyo, nezidiliya nezinquma.
6AmaFilisti abuza athi: “Ngubani owenze le nto?” Athi: “NguSamson, umkhwenyana womTimnata, kuba umTimnata uthabathe umkaSamson, wamnika umhlobo wakhe.” Enyuka ke amaFilisti, amtshisa yena noyise ngomlilo.
7Wathi uSamson kubo: “Ekubeni nisenza ngolu hlobo, andiyi kuyeka ndide ndiziphindezele kuni.” 8Wawaxabela, isinqe nethanga, kwaba kukubulala okukhulu; waza wehla waya kuhlala emqhokrweni weliwa laseEtam. 9Enyuka amaFilisti, amisa iintente kwaYuda, asasazeka esa eLehi.
10Athi amadoda akwaYuda: “Yini na ukuba nisihlasele?” Athi wona: “Size kubopha uSamson, simenze njengoko asenze ngako thina.”
11Kwehla amadoda akwaYuda angamawaka amathathu, aya emqhokrweni weliwa laseEtam, athi kuSamson: “Akwazi na ukuba amaFilisti ayasilawula? Yini na le uyenzileyo kuthi?” Waphendula wathi: “Ndenze kuwo njengoko enze ngako kum.”
12Athi: “Size kukubopha, sikunikele emaFilistini.” Wathi uSamson: “Ndifungeleni ukuba aniyi kundibulala nina ngokwenu.”
13Athi: “Kulungile. Siya kukubopha kuphela, sikunikele—asiyi kukubulala.” Ambopha ke ngeentsontelo ezintsha ezimbini, amnyusa eliweni.
14Wathi akufika eLehi, amaFilisti amhlangabeza edanduluka. Wamfikela ngamandla uMoya kaBawo wethu; iintsontelo ezisemikhonweni yakhe zasuka zaba njengeflakisi etshiswe ngumlilo, zanyibilika izibopho zakhe ezandleni zakhe. 15Wafumana umhlathi omtsha we-esile, wolula isandla, wawubamba, wabulala ngawo amadoda aliwaka. 16Wathi uSamson: “Ngomhlathi we-esile, imfumba phezu kwemfumba; ngomhlathi we-esile ndibulele amadoda aliwaka.” a a v16 IsiHebhere apha sidlala ngamagama: igama elithi “esile” negama elithi “mfumba” avakala ngokufanayo, ngoko ukuqhayisa kukaSamson kuvakala ngathi kuthi “ngomhlathi we-esile ndabenza iimfumba zamaesile.” 17Wathi akugqiba ukuthetha, wawulahla umhlathi esandleni sakhe; yathiywa igama leyo ndawo kwathiwa yiRamati-lehi. b b v17 IRamati-lehi ithetha ukuthi “ukuphakama komhlathi” — leyo ndawo yathiywa ngenxa yesixhobo uSamson awasilahla khona.
18Enxaniwe kakhulu, wakhala kuBawo wethu, esithi: “Wena unike usindiso olukhulu olu ngesandla somkhonzi wakho. Ngaba ngoku ndifanele ukufa linxano, ndiwele ezandleni zabangalukileyo na?”
19Ngoko uBawo wethu wawuvula umgongxo oseLehi; kwaphuma amanzi. Wathi uSamson akusela, wabuya umoya wakhe, waphila. Ngoko igama lalo mthombo kwathiwa nguEn-hakore, oseLehi unanamhla. c c v19 IEn-hakore ithetha ukuthi “umthombo walowo ubizayo” — yathiywa ngenxa yokukhala kukaSamson kuBawo wethu, awathi uBawo wethu wakuphendula ngamanzi. 20USamson wawalawula amaSirayeli iminyaka engamashumi amabini ngemihla yamaFilisti.
