< Judges 16 >

1 One day Samson went to Gaza [city in the Philistia area]. He spent some time with a prostitute.
Otu ụbọchị, Samsin gara nʼotu obodo ndị Filistia a na-akpọ Gaza, soro otu nwanyị akwụna bi nʼebe ahụ hie ụra abalị.
2 People soon found out that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together at the city gate and waited all night. They said to themselves, “When it dawns tomorrow morning, we will kill him [when he tries to leave the city].”
A gwara ndị Gaza sị, “Samsin nọ nʼobodo a.” Nʼihi ya, ha gbara ebe ahụ gburugburu ma nọdụ na-eche nʼọnụ ụzọ ama obodo ahụ abalị niile. Ọ dịghị ihe ha mere nʼabalị ahụ nʼihi na ha zubere sị, “Mgbe chi bọrọ, anyị ga-egbu ya.”
3 But Samson did not stay there all night. At midnight, he got up. He went to the city gate, he took hold of its two posts, and he lifted it up out of the ground, with its [connecting cross] bar still attached. He put it on his shoulders and carried it [many miles] uphill to Hebron.
Ma Samsin dinara nʼụlọ nwanyị akwụna ahụ ruo nʼetiti abalị ahụ. Mgbe ọ pụtara, ọ gara ruo nʼọnụ ụzọ obodo ahụ, foro ibo ọnụ ụzọ obodo ahụ, ya na ibo ya abụọ, bukwasị ya nʼubu ya, buru ha gaa nʼelu ugwu chere obodo Hebrọn ihu.
4 Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, [and started to live with her]. She lived in Sorek Valley [in the Philistia area].
Ọ dịghị anya, Samsin hụrụ otu nwaagbọghọ, onye ọ hụrụ nʼanya. Aha nwaagbọghọ a bụ Delaịla, onye si nʼobodo dị na Ndagwurugwu Sorek.
5 The Philistine leaders went to her and said, “Find out from Samson what makes him so strong. And find out how we can subdue him and tie him up securely. If you do that, each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
Ndị eze ndị Filistia, bịakwutere Delaịla rịọọ ya sị, “Gbalịa lee ma ị ga-enwe ike chọpụta ebe ike Samsin si abịa, ka anyị nwee ike ịmata ụzọ anyị ga-esi jide ya, kee ya agbụ. Ọ bụrụ na i meere anyị nke a, anyị na-ekwe nkwa na onye ọbụla nʼime anyị ga-enye gị puku shekel na narị shekel ọlaọcha.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong, and tell me how someone can subdue you and tie you up.”
Nʼihi nke a, Delaịla gwara Samsin okwu sị ya, “Gwa m ebe ike gị si abịa. Gwakwa m otu mmadụ pụrụ isi kee gị agbụ, merie gị.”
7 Samson said, “If someone ties me with seven new bowstrings, ones that are not dry yet, I will become as weak as other men.”
Mgbe ahụ, Samsin zara sị ya, “Ọ bụrụ na mmadụ e jiri akwara eriri asaa dị ọhụrụ, ndị a na-amịkpọghị amịkpọ kee m, m ga-abụkwa onye na-adịghị ike dịka mmadụ ọbụla ọzọ.”
8 So [after Delilah told that to the Philistine leaders], they brought seven new bowstrings to Delilah.
Ngwangwa, ndịisi ndị Filistia wetara ya eriri asaa dị ọhụrụ ndị a na-amịbeghị nʼanwụ, o weere ha kee Samsin.
9 Then she hid the men in one of the rooms in her house. Then [while Samson was sleeping], she tied him up with the bowstrings. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come here to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as easily as though they were strings that had been singed in a fire. So the Philistines did not find out what made Samson so strong.
Ma o mere ka ụfọdụ ndị ikom Filistia zoo onwe ha nʼotu akụkụ ụlọ ya. O tiri mkpu sị, “Samsin, lee, ndị Filistia abịala ijide gị!” Otu mgbe ahụ kwa, Samsin biliri dọbisie eriri ahụ dịka ọ bụ eriri e ji ogho mee nke bịara ọkụ nso. Ya mere, a chọpụtaghị ebe ike Samsin si abịa.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have deceived me and lied to me! Now tell me [the truth, ] how someone can tie you up securely.”
Emesịa, Delaịla gwara Samsin sị ya, “Lee, ị kwaala m emo, ghaara m ụgha. Biko, gwa m ụzọ a ga-esi kee gị agbụ.”
11 Samson replied, “If someone ties me with new ropes, ones that have never been used, I will be as weak as other men.”
Samsin zara sị ya, “Lee, ọ bụrụ na e jiri ụdọ ọhụrụ nke a na-ejibeghị kee ihe mgbe ọbụla, kee m, aga m adịkwa dịka ndị ọzọ.”
12 So again, [she told the Philistine leaders, and] they [came and] hid in the room as they had done before. And again, while Samson was sleeping, she took the new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the ropes on his arms as easily as if they were threads.
Ya mere, Delaịla chịkọtara ụdọ ọhụrụ jiri ya kee ya nke ọma. Ma ụfọdụ ndị ikom Filistia zokwara onwe ha nʼime ime ụlọ ahụ. Ọzọkwa, Delaịla tiri mkpu sị, “Samsin, lee, ndị Filistia abịala ijide gị.” Ma Samsin biliri dọbisie eriri ahụ e ji kee ya ka a ga-asị na ọ bụ ogho ka e ji mee ha.
13 Then Delilah said, “You have deceived me and lied to me [again]! Please tell me how someone can tie you up securely!” Samson replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the threads you are weaving on the loom, and then fasten those threads with the pin [that makes the threads tight], then I will be as weak as other men.” So again, while Samson was sleeping on her lap, Delilah held the seven braids of his hair, and wove them into the threads on the loom,
Mgbe ahụ, Delaịla gwara ya sị, “Lee, ị na-eme ka abụ m onye nzuzu, ghaara m ụgha. Gwa m eziokwu, otu a ga-esi kee gị agbụ.” Samsin zara sị ya, “Lee, e kewara agịrị isi dị m nʼisi ụzọ asaa, i were ụzọ nkekọta asaa e kekọtara agịrị isi m, kpanyekọtaa ha nʼihe i ji ekwe akwa, were ntu osisi i ji akpachi akwa kpachie ya, mgbe ahụ, aga m adịkwa ka ndị ọzọ.” Mgbe Samsin rahụrụ ụra, Delaịla weere agịrị isi Samsin kpanyekọtaa ya nʼihe o ji ekwe akwa.
14 and she tightened them with the pin. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson woke up and pulled out the pin, and pulled his hair from the threads on the loom.
O jikwa ǹtu osisi o ji akpachi akwa, kpachikọtasie agịrị isi Samsin ike. Ọzọ, Delaịla sịrị ya, “Samsin, ndị Filistia abịala ijide gị.” Ma Samsin bilitere nʼike fokọrọ ǹtu osisi ahụ, na ihe eji akpa akwa, na akwa akpara akpa.
15 Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say that you love me when you do not tell me the truth about yourself? You have deceived me three times, and you still have not told me what really makes you so strong!”
Mgbe ahụ, Delaịla gwara ya okwu sị, “Olee ka i si kwuo na ị hụrụ m nʼanya, ebe ọ bụ na i nweghị ike ịgwa m ihe dị gị nʼobi? Lee, ugbo atọ ndị a, i mere m ka m dịka onye nzuzu, ma ị gwabeghị m ebe ike gị dị ruo ugbu a.”
16 Day after day she nagged him like that. He thought he would die from her nagging [IDM].
Delaịla sikwara otu a nyegide Samsin nsogbu tutu ruo mgbe Samsin na-enweghịkwa ike ịnagide nsogbu ya.
17 Finally Samson told her the truth. He said, “I have been set apart for God since the day I was born. And because of that, my hair has never been cut. If my hair were shaved off, my strength would be gone, and I would be as weak as other men.”
Ya mere, ọ gwara ya ihe niile, “Ọ dịbeghị mgbe agụba ọbụla gara nʼelu isi m, nʼihi na abụ m onye Nazirait, onye e doro nsọ nye Chineke ka m bụ, site nʼafọ nne m. Ọ bụrụkwa na a kpụchapụ agịrị isi m, mgbe ahụ, ike niile dị m nʼahụ ga-apụ. Mgbe ahụ, aga m adịkwa ka ndị ọzọ.”
18 Delilah realized that this time he had told her the truth. So she summoned the Philistine leaders again, saying, “Come back one more time, because Samson has really told me everything [about why he is so strong]”. So the Philistine leaders returned and brought to Delilah the money [that they promised to give her].
Mgbe Delaịla matara na ọ gwala ya ihe niile, o ziri ozi kpọọ ndịisi ndị Filistia ahụ, sị, “Bịaghachinụ otu ugbu a, nʼihi na ọ gwara m ihe niile.” Ya mere, ndịisi ndị Filistia lọghachiri jiri ego ọlaedo ahụ nʼaka ha.
19 Again she lulled Samson to sleep, with his head in her lap. Then she called one of the Philistine men to come and shave off Samson’s hair. As he did that, Samson began to get weaker. And finally his strength was all gone.
Ma Delaịla mere ka o dinaa nʼapata ụkwụ ya rahụ ụra. Mgbe ahụ, ọ kpọbatara nwoke na-akpụcha isi, ka ọ kpụchapụ agịrị isi niile dị Samsin nʼisi, si otu a mee ka ike ghara ịdịkwa ya. Ike ya hapụrụ ya.
20 Then [after she tied him up], she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” He woke up and thought, “I will do as I did before. I will shake [these ropes] off myself and be free!” But he did not realize that Yahweh had left him.
O tiri mkpu sị, “Samsin, lee, ndị Filistia abịala ijide gị.” Ma mgbe Samsin bilitere site nʼụra, o chere nʼobi ya, “Aga m apụ ka m si mee na mbụ megharịa arụ ma nwere onwe m.” Ma ọ maghị na Onyenwe anyị ahapụla ya.
21 So the Philistine men seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they took him to Gaza. There they put him in prison and bound him with bronze chains. They made him [turn a millstone to] grind grain [every day].
Ndị Filistia jidere ya, ghụpụ ya anya ya abụọ, duru ya gbadata Gaza. Nʼebe ahụ, ha jiri ụdọ bronz kee ya agbụ, nye ya ọrụ ịnyagharị igwe na-akwọ ọka nʼụlọ mkpọrọ ha tinyere ya.
22 But his hair started to grow again.
Mgbe na-adịghị anya, agịrị isi ya malitekwara ito ọzọ.
23 [Several months later] the Philistine leaders celebrated a big festival. During the festival they offered sacrifices to their god Dagon. They praised him, saying, “Our god has enabled us to defeat our great enemy Samson!”
Ugbu a, ndịisi ndị Filistia niile zukọtara ịchụrụ chi ha bụ Dagọn, aja dị ukwuu, na ịṅụrị ọṅụ, na-asị, “Chi anyị enyela Samsin bụ onye iro anyị nʼaka anyị.”
24 And when the other people saw Samson, they also praised their god Dagon, saying, “Samson ruined our crops and killed many of our people, but our god has put our enemy into our hands. Our god helped us to capture the one who has killed so many of us!”
Mgbe ndị mmadụ hụrụ ya, ha toro chi ha sị, “Chi anyị enyela onye iro anyị nʼaka anyị, onye mere ka ala anyị tọgbọrọ nʼefu gbukwaa ọtụtụ ndị anyị.”
25 By that time the people were half-drunk. They shouted, “Bring Samson out of the prison! Bring him here so that he can entertain us!” So they brought Samson from the prison and made fun of him. Then they made him stand in the center of the temple. They made him stand between the two pillars that held up the roof.
Mgbe ha ka nọ nʼobi ụtọ, ha tiri mkpu sị, “Dupụtara anyị Samsin, ka o kpaa anyị ọchị.” Ya mere, e dupụtara Samsin site nʼụlọ mkpọrọ ka o meere ha ihe egwuregwu. Ha mere ka o guzo nʼetiti ebe ogidi e ji wuo ụlọ ahụ dị.
26 Samson said to the servant who was leading him by his hand, “Place my hands against the two pillars. I want to rest against them.”
Mgbe ahụ, Samsin sịrị onye na-eji ya nʼaka sị, “Debe m nʼebe m ga-emetụ ogidi ndị ụlọ a na-eguzo na ha aka, ka m nwe ike dabere na ha.”
27 At that time the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine leaders were also there. And there were about 3,000 people on the roof, watching Samson and making fun of him.
Nʼoge a, mmadụ ejupụtala nʼime ụlọ ahụ, nwoke na nwanyị; ndịisi ọchịchị ndị Filistia nọkwa nʼebe ahụ. Ndị ọzọ ọnụọgụgụ ha ruru puku atọ, nwoke na nwanyị, nọ nʼelu ụlọ ahụ na-ele Samsin, ebe ọ na-emere ha ihe ọchị.
28 Then Samson prayed, saying, “Yahweh, my Lord, think about me again! Please give me strength one more time, so that I may get revenge on the Philistines for gouging out my eyes!”
Mgbe ahụ, Samsin kpere ekpere rịọọ Onyenwe anyị arịrịọ sị, “O! Onyenwe m Onyenwe anyị, biko cheta m naanị otu ugbu a. Biko, Chineke, nye m ike nʼotu ohere a m nwere, ka m nwee ike ịbọrọ ọbọ nʼahụ ndị Filistia nʼihi, ọ bụladị, mkpụrụ anya m abụọ.”
29 Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars of the temple. He put his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other pillar.
Mgbe ahụ, Samsin jidesiri ogidi abụọ dị nʼetiti ụlọ ahụ aka ike, aka nri ya nʼotu, aka ekpe ya na nke ọzọ.
30 Then he shouted [to God], “Let me die with the Philistines!”, and he pushed with all his strength. [The pillars collapsed], and the temple crashed down on the Philistine leaders and all the other Philistine people, [and they all died]. So Samson killed more people when he died than he had killed all during his life.
Samsin kpere ekpere sị, “Ka m soro ndị Filistia nwụọ!” O ji ike ya niile nuo ogidi ahụ aka. Otu mgbe ahụ kwa, ụlọ arụsị ahụ dara, dakwasị ndịisi ọchịchị Filistia ndị ahụ, na ndị niile nọ nʼime ụlọ ahụ. Ya mere, ndị niile so Samsin nwụọ nʼoge ahụ dị ọtụtụ karịa ndị Samsin gburu mgbe ọ dị ndụ.
31 Later his brothers and their relatives went down [from Zorah to Gaza] to get his body. They took it back home and buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, at the place where Samson’s father Manoah was buried. Samson had been Israel’s leader for 20 years.
Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ụmụnna ndị ikom Samsin, na ndị ezinaụlọ nna ya bịara nʼebe ahụ, buru ozu ya. Ha liri ya nʼagbata Zora na Eshtaol, ebe e liri nna ya Manoa. Samsin kpere ụmụ Izrel ikpe iri afọ abụọ.

< Judges 16 >