Balam 14
1 Awo Samusooni n’aserengeta e Timuna n’alaba omukazi mu bawala ab’Abafirisuuti.
One day when Samson was in Timnah [town], he saw a young Philistine woman there.
2 N’addayo eka, n’ategeeza kitaawe ne nnyina ng’agamba nti, “Nalabye omukazi ku bawala ab’Abafirisuuti mu Timuna. Kale mumumpasize kaakano.”
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 Awo kitaawe ne nnyina ne bamugamba nti, “Tewali mukazi n’omu mu baganda bo newaakubadde mu Bantu bange gw’oyinza kuwasa, olyoke ogende ofune omukazi okuva mu Bafirisuuti abatali bakomole?” Naye Samusooni n’addamu kitaawe nti, “Mpasiza oyo kubanga ye gwe nsiimye.”
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 Kitaawe ne nnyina tebaamanya ekyo nga kyava eri Mukama Katonda, kubanga Mukama yali anoonya ensonga ku Bafirisuuti. Mu biro ebyo Abafirisuuti be baafuganga Isirayiri.
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 Awo Samusooni ne kitaawe ne nnyina ne bagenda e Timuna. Bwe baali basemberedde ennimiro z’emizabbibu egy’omu Timuna, empologoma ento n’ewuluguma nga bw’emulumba.
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 Awo Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’amukkako, n’ayuzaayuza empologoma n’emikono gye ng’ayuzaayuza akabuzi akato, naye n’atabaako ky’ategeeza kitaawe newaakubadde nnyina.
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 Samusooni n’aserengeta n’agenda n’anyumya n’omukazi era n’amusiima.
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 Ebbanga bwe lyayitawo, n’addayo okumuwasa, naye aba ali ku lugendo, n’akyama okulaba omulambo gw’empologoma, era laba, nga mu mulambo gw’empologoma mulimu enjuki n’omubisi gw’enjuki.
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 N’atoola ku mubisi n’engalo ze, n’atambula n’agenda. Bwe yasiŋŋaana kitaawe ne nnyina nabo n’abawaako ne balya, wabula n’atabagamba nti omubisi ogwo gwe balya aguggye mu mulambo gw’empologoma.
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 Awo n’aserengeta ne kitaawe eri omukazi, era Samusooni n’akolerayo embaga ng’empisa y’abawasa bwe yali.
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 Abafirisuuti bwe bajja okulaba Samusooni, ne bamuwa bannaabwe amakumi asatu okumuwerekerako.
Thirty young man were invited to the party.
12 Awo Samusooni n’abagamba nti, “Kaakano ka mbakokkolere ekikokko. Bwe mulikivvuunula ennaku omusanvu ez’embaga nga tezinnaggwaako, ndibawa ebyambalo ebya linena amakumi asatu, n’emiteeko gy’engoye amakumi asatu.
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 Naye bwe kinaabalema okuddamu, muteekwa okumpa ebyambalo ebya linena amakumi asatu, n’emiteeko gy’engoye amakumi asatu.” Ne bamugamba nti, “Kokkola ekikokko kyo tukiwulire.”
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 N’abagamba nti, “Mu muli mwavaamu ekyokulya Mu w’amaanyi mwavaamu ekiwoomerera.” Ennaku ssatu ne ziyitawo nga bakyalemeddwa okuvvuunula ekikokko.
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 Awo ku lunaku olwokuna ne bagamba mukazi wa Samusooni nti, “Sendasenda balo atuvvuunulire ekikokko. Bwe kitaabe bwe kityo tujja kukwokya omuliro ggwe n’ennyumba ya kitaawo. Mwatuyita kutunyaga, si bwe kiri?”
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 Mukazi wa Samusooni n’agenda gy’ali ng’akaaba amaziga, ng’agamba nti, “Ddala ddala onkyawa so tonjagala. Wakokkolera abasajja b’omu bantu bange ekikokko, naye n’otakivvuunula.” N’amuddamu nti, “Laba sinnakivuunulira kitange newaakubadde mmange, noolwekyo lwaki nkikuvuunulira?”
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 N’amukaabirira okumala ebbanga eryo lyonna ery’embaga, olwo n’alyoka akimuvuunulira, kubanga yamwetayirira nnyo. N’oluvannyuma omukazi n’annyonnyola abasajja b’omu bantu be ekikokko.
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 Awo ku lunaku olw’omusanvu enjuba nga tennagwa abasajja ab’omu kibuga ne bagamba Samusooni nti, “Kiki ekisinga omubisi gw’enjuki okuwoomerera? Kiki ekisinga empologoma amaanyi?” N’abaddamu nti, “Singa temwalimya nnyana yange, temwandivuunudde kikokko kyange.”
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 Awo Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’amukkako, n’aserengeta e Asukulooni n’atta abasajja amakumi asatu, n’abambulamu ebyambalo byabwe, engoye zaabwe n’aziwa abavvuunula ekikokko. N’anyiiga nnyo, n’ayambuka n’addayo ewa kitaawe.
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 Mukazi wa Samusooni ne bamuwa mukwano gwe, eyabeeranga ne Samusooni.
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].
