Ndị Ikpe 14
1 Samsin gbadara nʼobodo Timna ebe ọ hụrụ otu nwaagbọghọ onye Filistia.
One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
2 Mgbe ọ lọtara nʼụlọ, ọ gwara nne na nna ya, “Ahụrụ m otu nwanyị nʼime Timna sitere nʼụmụ ndị inyom Filistia; ugbu a, lụtara m ya na nwunye.”
When he returned home, he told his mother and father, “I saw a young Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want you to get her for me so I can marry her.”
3 Nne na nna ya zara ya, “Ọ bụ na ọ dịghị nwanyị dị nʼetiti ndị inyom ụmụnne gị, maọbụ nʼetiti ndị anyị niile? Gịnị mere o ji bụrụ nʼetiti ndị Filistia a na-ebighị ugwu ka i si lụtara onwe gị nwunye?” Ma Samsin sịrị nna ya, “Gaa lụtara m ya. Nʼihi na o ziri ezi nʼanya m.”
His mother and father objected very strongly. They said, “Is there no woman from our tribe, or from the other Israeli tribes, that you could marry? Why must you go to the heathen Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She is the one I want!”
4 (Nne na nna ya aghọtaghị na aka Onyenwe anyị dị nʼọlụlụ nwunye a Samsin chọrọ ịlụ. Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị na-achọ ụzọ ọ ga-esi megide ndị Filistia, ndị na-achị ụmụ Izrel nʼoge ahụ.)
His mother and father did not realize that Yahweh was arranging this. He was preparing a way for [Samson to defeat] the Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at that time.
5 Samsin na nne na nna ya gawara obodo Timna maka ọlụlụ nwanyị a. Mgbe ha na-erute ubi vaịnị dị obodo Timna nso, otu nwa ọdụm sitere nʼọhịa mapụta, gbọrọ ụja na-abịakwute Samsin.
So, as Samson was going down to Timnah, followed by his mother and father, a young lion attacked Samson near the vineyards close to Timnah.
6 Nʼotu oge ahụ, Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị bịakwasịrị Samsin nʼike. O jekwuuru ọdụm ahụ, were aka ya abụọ dọwaa ya ọnụ, dịka a ga-asị na ọ bụ nwa ewu. Ma Samsin agwaghị nne na nna ya ihe mere.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit came upon Samson powerfully, with the result that he tore the lion apart with his hands. He did it [as easily] as if it were a young goat. But he did not tell his mother and father about it.
7 Ma mgbe ha bịaruru Timna, Samsin na nwaagbọghọ ahụ kparịtara ụka. Ihe banyere nwaagbọghọ ahụ dị Samsin ezi mma.
When they arrived in Timnah, Samson talked with the young woman, and he liked her very much. [And his father made arrangements for the wedding].
8 Ọ laghachiri mgbe ụbọchị ole na ole gasịrị ka ọ kpọrọ ya. Ma mgbe ọ tụgharịrị ka ọ hụ ozu ọdụm ahụ, ọ hụrụ na igwe aṅụ bizi nʼime ozu ọdụm ahụ, na-emepụtakwa mmanụ aṅụ.
Later, when Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to see the carcass of the lion. He discovered that [after other creatures had eaten all the flesh], a swarm of bees [had made a hive in the skeleton and] had made some honey.
9 Ọ kọpụtara mmanụ aṅụ ahụ tinye nʼaka ya, malite ịracha ka ọ na-aga nʼụzọ. Mgbe ọ bịakwutere nne na nna ya, o nyebinyere ha ụfọdụ, ha onwe ha rachakwara ya. Ma ọ gwaghị ha na o wetara ya site nʼozu ọdụm.
So he scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate some of it as he was walking along. He also gave some of it to his mother and father, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the skeleton of the lion, [because anyone dedicated to God was not to touch any corpse].
10 Nna ya gara ịhụ nwanyị ahụ ma Samsin kpọkọtara ụmụ okorobịa obodo ahụ meere ha oriri dịka omenaala ha sị di.
As his father was making the final arrangements for the marriage, Samson gave a party [for the young men in that area]. That was the custom for men to do when they were about to be married.
11 Mgbe Samsin rutere, a kpọnyere ya ndị bịara mmemme ọnụọgụgụ ha dị iri atọ.
Thirty young man were invited to the party.
12 Mgbe ahụ, Samsin gwara ha okwu sị ha, “O nwere ajụjụ, gwa m, gwa m, gwa m, m chọrọ ka unu kọwaara m. Ọ bụrụ na unu enwee ike kọwaa ya, site taa ruo nʼụbọchị asaa nke mmemme a, aga m enye unu iri uwe mwụda atọ, nyekwa unu iri uwe mwụda atọ ọzọ akpara akpa.
Samson said to them, “Allow me to tell you a riddle. If you tel me the meaning of my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give each of you a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.
13 Ọ bụrụkwanụ na unu enweghị ike kọwaa ya, unu ga-enye m iri uwe mwụda atọ, na iri uwe mwụda atọ akpara akpa.” Ha niile kwenyere sị, “Ọ dị mma. Kwuo ka anyị nụ.”
But if you cannot tell me the meaning, you must each give me a linen robe and an extra set of clothes.” They replied, “All right. Tell us your riddle.”
14 Ọ gwara ha sị, “Ihe oriri si nʼime onye na-eri eri na-apụta, ọzọkwa, ihe dị ụtọ si nʼime onye dị ike pụta.” Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị, ha enwebeghịkwa ike kọwaa ya.
So he said, “From the thing that eats came something to eat; out of something strong came something sweet.” But for three days they could not tell him the meaning of the riddle.
15 Ma nʼụbọchị nke anọ, ha jekwuuru nwunye Samsin gwa ya okwu sị, “Chọọ ụzọ rafụta di gị ọnụ, ka ọ gwa gị ihe okwu a pụtara. Ma ọ bụghị ya, anyị ga-akpọ gị na ezinaụlọ nna gị ọkụ. Ọ bụ ịnapụ anyị ihe anyị nwere ka unu ji kpọọ anyị oku bịa nʼebe?”
On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s bride, “Ask your husband to tell you the meaning of the riddle. If you do not do that, we will burn down your father’s house, with you inside it! Did you invite us here only to make us poor [by forcing us to buy a lot of clothes for your husband]?”
16 Mgbe ahụ nwunye Samsin buuru onwe ya tụọ nʼelu ahụ ya, nʼebe akwa, sị, “Ị kpọrọ m asị! Nʼezie, ị hụghị m nʼanya. Ị tụụrụ ndị m ilu, ma ị gwaghị m ọsịsa ya.” Ọ sịrị ya, “Lee, agwaghị m nne na nna m, ọ bụkwa gị ka m ga akọwara ya?”
So Samson’s wife came to him, crying, and said to him, “You do not really love me. You hate me! You have told a riddle to my friends, but you have not told me the meaning of the riddle!” He replied, “I have not told the meaning of the riddle even to my mother and father, so why should I tell it to you?”
17 Ma nwanyị ahụ kwagidere akwa abalị asaa ha nọ na mmemme ahụ. Nʼikpeazụ, nʼụbọchị nke asaa, Samsin kọwaara ya okwu ahụ nʼihi na ọ nọgidere na-enye ya nsogbu. Nwanyị ahụ gakwara kọwaara ụmụ okorobịa obodo ihe okwu ahụ pụtara.
She continued to cry every time she was with him, all during the rest of the celebration. Finally, on the seventh day, because she continued to nag him, he told her the meaning of the riddle. Then she told it to the young men.
18 Ma tupu anwụ adaa nʼụbọchị nke asaa ahụ, ndị ikom obodo ahụ sịrị ya, “Olee ihe dị ụtọ karịa mmanụ aṅụ? Gịnị dịkwa ike karịa ọdụm?” Ma Samsin zara sị ha, “A sị na unu enyeghị nwa ehi m nsogbu, unu agaraghị enwe ike kọwaa ya.”
So, before sunset on the seventh day, the young men came to Samson and said to him, “What/Nothing is sweeter than honey [RHQ]. What/Nothing is stronger than a lion [RHQ]!” Samson replied, “[You should not force a heifer to] plow a field [MET]. Similarly, if you had not forced my bride to ask me about the riddle [MET], you would not have known the answer to my riddle!”
19 Otu mgbe ahụ kwa, Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị bịakwasịrị ya. O sitere nʼebe ahụ pụọ, gaa nʼobodo Ashkelọn. Nʼebe ahụ ka ọ nọ tigbuo iri mmadụ atọ, napụ ha uwe ha niile, chịrị ha chịnye ndị ahụ kọwaara ya ilu ahụ. Ma site nʼoke iwe, o laghachiri nʼụlọ nna ya.
Then Yahweh’s Spirit powerfully took control of Samson. He went down to [the coast at] Ashkelon [town], and killed 30 men. He took their clothes [and went back to Timnah] and gave them to the men who had told him the meaning of the riddle. But he was very angry about what had happened, so he went back home to live with his mother and father.
20 E duuru nwunye Samsin dunye enyi Samsin ka ha abụọ bụrụ di na nwunye.
So (Samson’s wife was given/the bride’s father gave Samson’s wife) to the man who who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding, [but Samson did not know that].
