< Balam 16 >

1 Samusooni n’alaga e Gaza n’alabayo omukazi malaaya, n’ayingira gy’ali.
Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there, and he went to bed with her.
2 Awo abantu ab’e Gaza ne bategeezebwa nga Samusooni bw’ali mu kifo ekyo. Ne bamuzingiza ne bamuteegera ku wankaaki w’ekibuga ekiro kyonna. Ne basiriikirira ekiro kyonna nga bagamba nti, “Obudde bwe bunaaba nga bunaatera okukya tunaamutta.”
The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” The Gazites surrounded the place and in secret, they waited for him all night at the city gate. They kept silent all night. They had said, “Let us wait until daylight, and then let us kill him.”
3 Naye Samusooni ne yeebaka okutuusa ettumbi, n’agolokoka mu ttumbi, n’akwata enzigi ebbiri eza wankaaki w’ekibuga, n’emifuubeeto gyombi, n’abisimbula okuva mu bifo byabyo, n’agyawo n’ekisiba, n’abiteeka ku bibegaabega bye n’abitwala ku ntikko y’olusozi olutunuulidde Kebbulooni.
Samson lay in bed until midnight. At midnight he got up and he took hold of the city gate and its two posts. He pulled them up out of the ground, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the hill, in front of Hebron.
4 Awo oluvannyuma lw’ebyo n’aganza omukazi mu kiwonvu ky’e Soleki, erinnya lye Derira.
After this, Samson came to love a woman who lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah.
5 Abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne bagenda gy’ali ne bamugamba nti, “Musendesende olabe amaanyi ge amangi mwe gasibuka, tulyoke tusinziire okwo okumusobola, tumusibe tumujeeze. Naffe tulikuwa buli omu ku ffe, ebitundu bya ffeeza lukumi mu kikumi.”
The rulers of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, “Trick Samson to see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him in order to humiliate him. Do this, and each one of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
6 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Kaakano mbuulira amaanyi go amangi mwe gasibuka, era n’ekiyinza okukusiba okukujeeza.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “Please, tell me how is it that you are so strong, and how could anyone bind you, so you might be controlled?”
7 Samusooni n’amugamba nti, “Bwe bansiba enkolokolo embisi musanvu, ezitakaze, olwo nnaanafuwa ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
Samson said to her, “If they tie me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”
8 Abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne baleetera omukazi enkolokolo musanvu embisi ezitakaze, n’azimusibya.
Then the rulers of the Philistines brought up to Delilah seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson up with them.
9 Waaliwo abasajja abaali beekwese mu kisenge omwo omukazi mwe yali. Awo omukazi n’akoowoola Samusooni ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’akutula enkolokolo, ng’omuntu bwe yandikutudde omuguwa oguyise mu muliro. Bwe kityo ensibuko y’amaanyi ge n’etazuulibwa.
Now she had men hiding in secret, staying in her inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings like a thread of yarn when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Laba, onduulidde, era onnimbye. Kaakano mbuulira ekiyinza okukusiba.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “This is how you have deceived me and told me lies. Please, tell me how you can be overpowered.”
11 N’amugamba nti, “Bwe bansibya emiguwa emiggya egitakozesebwangako, nnaanafuwa, ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
He said to her, “If they tie me up with new ropes which have never been used for work, I will become weak and like any other man.”
12 Awo Derira n’addira emiguwa emiggya, n’amusiba, nga mu kisenge mulimu abasajja abeekwese. N’alyoka amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni, Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agyekutulako ku mikono ng’ewuzi.
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” The men lying in wait were in the inner room. But Samson tore off the ropes from his arms like they were a piece of thread.
13 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Okutuusa kaakano onduulidde era onnimbye. Mbuulira ekiyinza okukusiba.” N’amugamba nti, “Bw’onooluka emivumbo musanvu egiri ku mutwe gwange, n’engoye, n’obinyweza nzija kunafuwa, mbeere ng’omuntu omulala yenna.” N’aluka emivumbo omusanvu egy’ali ku mutwe gwe, n’engoye,
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you may be overpowered.” Samson said to her, “If you weave seven locks of my hair into a fabric on a loom, and then nail that to the loom, I will be like any other man.”
14 n’abinyweza n’olubambo. N’amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agolokoka okuva mu tulo, ne yeetakkuluza ku lubambo lw’omuti ogulukirwako n’engoye ezirukiddwa.
While he slept, Delilah wove seven locks of his hair into the fabric on the loom and nailed it to the loom, and she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He woke from his sleep and he pulled out the fabric and the pin from the loom.
15 Awo Derira n’amugamba nti, “Oyinza otya okugamba nti onjagala, ate ng’omutima gwo teguli nange? Gino emirundi esatu onduulidde, n’otontegeeza amaanyi go amangi mwe gasibuka.”
She said to him, “How can you say, 'I love you,' when you do not share your secrets with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me how you have such great strength.”
16 Bw’atyo omukazi n’amusendasendanga n’ebigambo bye ennaku zonna ng’amubuuza okutuusa lwe yamwetamwa.
Every day she pressed him hard with her words, and she pressured him so much that he wished he would die.
17 Awo Samusooni n’amubuulira ebyali ku mutima gwe byonna. N’amugamba nti, “Simwebwangako nviiri, kubanga ndi muwonge eri Katonda okuva mu lubuto lwa mmange. Bwe mwebwako enviiri, olwo amaanyi gange gananvaako, ne nnafuwa, ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
So Samson told her everything and said to her, “I have never had a razor cut the hair on my head, for I have been a Nazirite for God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like every other man.”
18 Awo Derira bwe yalaba ng’amutegeezezza byonna ebyali ku mutima gwe, n’atumira abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ng’agamba nti, “Mukomeewo omulundi guno gwokka, kubanga yantegeezezza ebiri mu mutima gwe byonna.” Awo Abafirisuuti ne bakomawo nga baleese ezaabu.
When Delilah saw that he had told her the truth about everything, she sent and called for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me everything.” Then the rulers of the Philistines went up to her, bringing the silver in their hands.
19 N’amwebasa ku maviivi ge, n’ayita omusajja n’amumwa emivumbo omusanvu egyali ku mutwe gwe, n’atandika okujeeza, amaanyi ge ne gamuvaako.
She had him fall asleep in her lap. She called for a man to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to subdue him, for his strength had left him.
20 N’amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni, Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agolokoka okuva mu tulo ng’agamba nti, “Nzija kwetakkuluza ŋŋende nga bulijjo.” Naye teyamanya nga Mukama Katonda amulese.
She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He woke up out of his sleep and said, “I will get out like the other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that Yahweh had left him.
21 Awo Abafirisuuti ne bakwata Samusooni, ne bamuggyamu amaaso, ne bamuserengesa e Gaza nga musibe mu njegere ez’ekikomo, ne bamuteeka mu kkomera mu nnyumba omuseerebwa obuwunga.
The Philistines captured him and put out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. He turned the millstone at the prison house.
22 Kyokka bwe yamala okumwebwa, enviiri ze ne zitandika okumera.
But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
23 Awo abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne bakuŋŋaana okuwaayo ssaddaaka eri lubaale waabwe Dagoni, nga bwe basanyuka. Ne boogera nti, “Lubaale waffe agabudde Samusooni omulabe waffe mu mukono gwaffe.”
The rulers of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. They said, “Our god has conquered Samson, our enemy, and put him in our grasp.”
24 Abantu bwe baalaba Samusooni, ne batendereza lubaale waabwe nga bwe boogera nti, “Lubaale waffe agabudde omulabe waffe mu mukono gwaffe, oyo eyazikiriza ensi yaffe, n’atta bangi ku ffe.”
When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has conquered our enemy and given him to us—the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us.”
25 Awo bwe baasanyuka ennyo, ne bawowoggana nga bwe bagamba nti, “Mutuyitire Samusooni atusanyuseemu.” Ne baleeta Samusooni abasanyuseemu, nga bamuggya mu kkomera. Ne bamuyimiriza wakati w’empagi.
When they were celebrating, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may make us laugh.” They called for Samson out of the prison and he made them laugh. They made him stand between the pillars.
26 Awo Samusooni n’agamba omuweereza eyali amukutte ku mukono nti, “Leka nkwate ku mpagi eziwaniridde essabo, nsobole okuzeesigama.”
Samson said to the boy who held his hand, “Permit me to touch the pillars on which the building rests, so that I can lean against them.”
27 Mu ssabo mwalimu ekibiina kinene eky’abasajja n’abakazi nga mulimu n’abakulembeze bonna ab’Abafirisuuti. Ne waggulu ku kasolya kwaliko abantu ng’enkumi ssatu abaali batunuulira Samusooni ng’abasanyusaamu.
Now the house was full of men and women. All the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who were looking on while Samson was entertaining them.
28 Awo Samusooni n’asaba eri Mukama ng’agamba nti, “Mukama Katonda onzijukire kaakano, ompe amaanyi. Omulundi guno gwokka, ayi Katonda mpalane eggwanga ku Bafirisuuti olw’amaaso gange abiri.”
Samson called to Yahweh and said, “Lord Yahweh, call me to mind! Please strengthen me only this once, God, so that I may have revenge in one blow on the Philistines for taking my two eyes.”
29 Samusooni n’akwata empagi zombi ezaali wakati mu ssabo we yali ayimiridde, n’azeesigamako, omukono gwe ogwa ddyo nga guli ku mpagi emu, n’omukono ogwa kkono nga guli ku ndala.
Samson held on to the two middle pillars on which the building rested, and he leaned against them, one pillar with his right hand, and the other with his left.
30 Samusooni n’ayogera nti, “Leka nfiire wamu n’Abafirisuuti.” N’asindika n’amaanyi ge gonna, essabo ne ligwa ku bakulembeze, n’abantu bonna abaalimu naye, era n’atta bangi mu kufa kwe okusinga ne be yatta nga mulamu.
Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He stretched out with his strength and the building fell on the rulers and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed when he died were more than those he killed during his life.
31 Awo baganda be n’ennyumba yonna eya kitaawe ne bagenda ne baggyayo omulambo gwe, ne bagutwala ewaabwe, ne bamuziika mu ntaana ya kitaawe Manowa eyali wakati w’e Zola ne Esutaoli. Yali akulembedde Isirayiri okumala emyaka amakumi abiri.
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down. They took him, brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah, his father. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.

< Balam 16 >