IiNkokheli 16 FHB Father's Heart Bible™

16 ¹USamson waya eGaza, wabona khona ihenyukazi, wangena kulo. ²Bakuva abantu baseGaza kusithiwa: “Ufikile apha uSamson,” bayingqinga loo ndawo, bemlalele ubusuku bonke esangweni lomzi. Bathi cwaka ubusuku bonke, besithi: “Sakuba sibone ukusa, simbulale.” ³Walala apho uSamson kwada kwaphakathi kobusuku. Xa kuphakathi kobusuku wavuka, wazibamba iingcango zesango lomzi nemigubasi yomibini, wayincothula kunye nomvalo, wayibeka emagxeni akhe, wayisa encotsheni yenduli ekhangele eHebron.

⁴Emveni koku wathanda umfazi osentilini yaseSoreki, ogama belinguDelila. ⁵Zeza kuye izikhulu zamaFilisti, zathi: “Mlukuhle ufumanise ukuba aphuma phi na amandla akhe amakhulu, nokuba singammoyisa njani na, simbophe simthobe. Ngamnye wethu wokunika iwaka elinekhulu leeshekele zesilivere.”

⁶Wathi uDelila kuSamson: “Khawundixelele ukuba aphuma phi na amandla akho amakhulu, nokuba ungabotshwa ngani na, uthotywe.”

⁷Wathi uSamson kuye: “Ukuba bathe bandibopha ngezintya zesaphetha ezintsha ezisixhenxe ezingomanga, ndoba buthathaka, ndibe njengaye nawuphi na umntu.”

⁸Zaza izikhulu zamaFilisti zamzisela izintya zesaphetha ezintsha ezisixhenxe ezingomanga, wambopha ngazo. ⁹Ke yayinamadoda elalele egumbini elingaphakathi. Yathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson!” Kodwa wazinqumla izintya zesaphetha njengokunqamka komsonto weflakisi xa uthe wachukumisa umlilo. Ayaziwa ke imfihlelo yamandla akhe.

¹⁰Wathi uDelila kuSamson: “Ufekethe ngam, wandixelela ubuxoki. Khawundixelele ngoku ukuba ungabotshwa ngani na.”

¹¹Wathi kuye: “Ukuba bathe bandibopha baqinise ngezintya ezintsha ezingekasetyenziswa, ndoba buthathaka, ndibe njengaye nawuphi na umntu.”

¹²UDelila wathabatha izintya ezintsha, wambopha ngazo, wathi: “Samson, amaFilisti aphezu kwakho!” Kwaye amadoda elalele egumbini elingaphakathi. Kodwa wazikrazula izintya emikhonweni yakhe njengomsonto.

¹³Wathi uDelila kuSamson: “Ude wafeketha ngam, wandixelela ubuxoki yonke le nto. Ndixelele ukuba ungabotshwa ngani na.” Wathi kuye: “Ukuba uthe waluka izicenge ezisixhenxe zentloko yam elusingeni lokuluka, wasiqinisa ngesikhonkwane, ndoba buthathaka, ndibe njengaye nawuphi na umntu.”

¹⁴Wayiqinisa ngesikhonkwane, wathi kuye: “Samson, amaFilisti aphezu kwakho!” Kodwa wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe, wanyothula isikhonkwane, nelusingo lokuluka, nalo mphako.

¹⁵Wathi: “Ungatsho njani ukuthi ‘Ndiyakuthanda’ intliziyo yakho ingenam nje? Kathathu ufekethe ngam, akwandixelela apho aphuma khona amandla akho amakhulu.”

¹⁶Akubon' ukuba uyamxinezela ngamazwi akhe imihla ngemihla, emchukumisa, waphela umbilini wakhe, wanqwenela ukufa. ¹⁷Wayityhila yonke intliziyo yakhe kuye, wathi: “Isitshetshe asizange sihambe entlokweni yam, kuba ndingumahlulwa kaBawo wethu kwasesizalweni sikama. Ukuba ndithe ndachetywa, aya kundishiya amandla am, ndibe buthathaka, ndibe njengaye nawuphi na umntu.”

¹⁸Akubona uDelila ukuba uyityhilile yonke intliziyo yakhe kuye, wathumela wazibiza izikhulu zamaFilisti, wathi: “Nyukani nize kwakhona, kuba undityhilele yonke intliziyo yakhe.” Zenyuka ke zeza kuye izikhulu zamaFilisti, ziphethe isilivere ezandleni zazo. ¹⁹Yamlalisa emadolweni ayo, yabiza indoda, yamchebisa izicenge ezisixhenxe zentloko yakhe. Yaqala ukumthoba, aza amandla akhe amshiya. ²⁰Yathi: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson!” Wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe, wathi: “Ndophuma njengasekuqaleni, ndizivuthulule.” Kodwa ebengazi ukuba uBawo wethu umshiyile.

²¹AmaFilisti ambamba, amkhupha amehlo, amsa eGaza. Amkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, waguba entolongweni. ²²Kodwa iinwele zentloko yakhe zaqala ukuphinda zihlume emva kokuchetywa kwazo.

UBawo Uphinda Omeleze USamson Kwakhona

²³Zahlanganisana izikhulu zamaFilisti ukuze zenzele uDagon uthixo wazo umbingelelo omkhulu, nokuba zenze imihlali, zisithi: “Uthixo wethu usinikele uSamson, utshaba lwethu.” ²⁴Bakumbona abantu, bamdumisa uthixo wabo, besithi: “Uthixo wethu umnikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu, owonakalisa ilizwe lethu, waza wandisa ababuleweyo bethu.”

²⁵Zakuba nemihlali iintliziyo zazo, zathi: “Mbizeni uSamson, asidlalele.” Bamkhupha ke uSamson entolongweni, wabadlalela. Bammisa phakathi kweentsika. ²⁶Wathi uSamson kwinkwenkwe embambe ngesandla: “Ndiyeke ndizive iintsika indlu emiselwe kuzo, ukuze ndizeyame kuzo.” ²⁷Ke indlu yayizele ngamadoda nabafazi; zazilapho izikhulu zonke zamaFilisti; naphezu kwendlu kwakukho amadoda nabafazi abamalunga namawaka amathathu, bebukele uSamson edlala. ²⁸Wandula ke uSamson wabiza kuBawo wethu, wathi: “Bawo oyiNkosi enkulu, khawundikhumbule. Khawundomeleze kube kanye nje kuphela, ukuze ngesibetho esinye ndiwenzele ubulungisa amaFilisti ngenxa yamehlo am omabini.” ²⁹USamson wazibamba iintsika zombini eziphakathi ezixhasa indlu, wazeyama kuzo, isandla sakhe sokunene kwenye, esokhohlo kwenye. ³⁰Wathi uSamson: “Mandife kunye namaFilisti.” Watyhala ngawo onke amandla akhe, yawa indlu phezu kwezikhulu nabantu bonke ababekuyo. Waza wababulala ekufeni kwakhe abaninzi kunababulalayo ebomini bakhe.

³¹Behla ke abanakwabo nendlu yonke kayise, bamthabatha, bamnyusa, bamngcwaba phakathi kweTsora ne-Eshtawoli engcwabeni likaManowa uyise. Wawalawula amaSirayeli iminyaka emashumi mabini.