Abahluleli 16
1 Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza, lapho abona khona isifebe. Walala lalo ngalobobusuku.
And Samson went to Gazah, and saw there a harlot, and went in to her.
2 Abantu beGaza batshelwa ukuthi, “USamsoni ulapha!” Ngakho indawo leyo bayihonqolozela bamcathamela ubusuku bonke esangweni ledolobho. Kabenzanga lutho ebusuku, besithi, “Sizambulala emadabukakusa.”
[And it was told] the Gazathites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they surrounded [him], and laid wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning light we will kill him.
3 Kodwa uSamsoni walala lapho kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili kuphela. Lapho-ke wavuka wabamba izivalo zesango ledolobho, ndawonye lezinsika ezimbili, wakusiphula, umgoqo lakho konke. Wakwetshata emahlombe akhe, wakuthwalela phezu kwentaba ekhangele iHebhroni.
And Samson lay till midnight; and he arose at midnight, and seized the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and tore them up with the bar, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
4 Ngemva kwesikhathi, wathandana lowesifazane esiGodini saseSoreki owayethiwa nguDelila.
And it came to pass afterwards that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 Ababusi bamaFilistiya baya kuye bathi, “Mncenge ukuthi akutshengise imfihlo yamandla akhe amakhulu kanye lokuthi singamehlula njani ukuze simbophe simnqobe. Omunye lomunye wethu uzakupha amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu alitshumi lanye.”
And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Persuade him, and see in what his great strength is, and with what we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to overpower him; and we will each give thee eleven hundred silver-pieces.
6 Ngakho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni, “Ngitshela imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu kanye lokuthi ungabotshwa unqotshwe njani.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, in what is thy great strength, and with what thou mightest be bound to overpower thee.
7 USamsoni waphendula wathi, “Nxa umuntu angangibopha ngemichilo eyisikhombisa engonyiswanga, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”
And Samson said to her, If they should bind me with seven fresh cords which have not been dried, then should I be weak, and be as another man.
8 Ababusi bamaFilistiya basebemlethela imichilo eyisikhombisa emitsha eyayingonyiswanga, wambopha ngayo.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Kwakulabantu ababecatshile endlini, wasembiza wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Kodwa yena waqamula imichilo kalula njengesiqa sentambo lapho sisondele eduzane lelangabi. Ngakho imfihlo yamandla akhe ayazakalanga.
Now she had liers in wait abiding in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he broke the cords, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire; and his strength was not known.
10 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni, “Udlale ngami; ungiqambele amanga. Khathesi-ke ngitshela ukuthi ungabotshwa njani.”
And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Now tell me, I pray thee, with what thou mightest be bound.
11 Yena wathi, “Umuntu angangibopha aqinise ngamagoda amatsha angakaze asetshenziswe, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”
And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes, with which no work has been done, then should I be weak, and be as another man.
12 Ngakho uDelila wathatha amagoda amatsha wambopha ngawo. Eselabantu ababecatshe endlini, wambiza wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Kodwa yena waqamula amagoda ezingalweni zakhe kungathi ayeluhali nje.
And Delilah took new ropes, and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! Now there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.
13 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni, “Kuze kube khathesi ulokhu udlala ngami njalo ungiqambela amanga. Ngitshela ukuthi ungabotshwa njani.” Yena waphendula wathi, “Ungelukela izixha zenwele zami eziyisikhombisa elenjini ngosungulo zibe yisibhebhedu, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.” Ngakho kwathi eselele, uDelila wathatha izixha eziyisikhombisa ekhanda lakhe,
And Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what thou mightest be bound. And he said to her, If thou shouldest weave the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 wazelukela elenjini ngosungulo. Wambiza njalo wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni wadonsa isibhebhedu losungulo kanye lelembu.
And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and tore out the pin of the beam, and the web.
15 UDelila wasesithi, kuye, “Ungatsho njani uthi, ‘Ngiyakuthanda,’ wena ungangithembi na? Lokhu ngokwesithathu udlala ngami njalo kawungitshelanga imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu.”
Then she said to him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou mocked me, and hast not told me in what is thy great strength.
16 Ngokubelesela okunje wamncenga insuku zonke waze wacina esenengeka kakhulu.
And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 Ngakho wamtshela konke wathi, “Akulampuco eseyake yasetshenziswa ekhanda lami ngoba ngingumNaziri owahlukaniselwa uNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni. Nxa ikhanda lami lingaphucwa, amandla ami angasuka kimi, njalo ngingaba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”
and he told her all his heart, and said to her, There has not come a razor upon my head; for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother's womb; if I should be shaven, then my strength would go from me, and I should be weak, and be like all mankind.
18 Kwathi uDelila ebona ukuthi wayesemtshele konke, wathumela ilizwi kubabusi bamaFilistiya elithi, “Wozani futhi; usengitshele konke.” Ngakho ababusi bamaFilistiya babuyela bephethe isiliva ngezandla zabo.
And Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, and she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this time, for he has told me all his heart. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.
19 Kwathi esemlalisile ethangazini lakhe, wabiza umuntu ukuba aphuce izixha eziyisikhombisa zezinwele zakhe, ngakho waqalisa ukumnqoba. Amandla akhe aphela kuye.
And she made him sleep upon her knees, and called a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to overpower him, and his strength went from him.
20 Wasememeza wathi, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngizaphuma njengakuqala ngizikhulule.” Kodwa wayengazi ukuthi uThixo wayesemtshiyile.
And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and disengage myself. And he knew not that Jehovah had departed from him.
21 AmaFilistiya ambamba, amkopola amehlo asehamba laye eGaza. Esembophe ngamaketane ethusi, amupha umsebenzi wokuchola entolongweni.
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazah, and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he had to grind in the prison-house.
22 Kodwa inwele ekhanda lakhe zaqalisa ukukhula futhi emva kokuphucwa.
But the hair of his head began to grow after he was shaved.
23 Ababusi bamaFilistiya babuthana ukuba banikele umhlatshelo omkhulu kuDagoni uNkulunkulu wabo njalo bathokoze besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele uSamsoni, isitha sethu, ezandleni zethu.”
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.
24 Kwathi abantu bembona, badumisa unkulunkulu wabo besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu ezandleni zethu, sona esachitha ilizwe lethu sabulala abanengi bethu.”
And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god has given into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, even him who multiplied our slain.
25 Bephakathi kokuthokoza, baklabalala bathi, “Lethani uSamsoni azesilibazisa.” Ngakho uSamsoni bayambiza entolongweni, wazabadlalela. Kwathi sebemise phakathi kwezinsika,
And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house, and he played before them; and they set him between the pillars.
26 uSamsoni wathi encekwini eyayimbambe isandla, “Ngibeka lapho engizathinta khona izinsika ezisekele ithempeli, ukuze ngeyame kuzo.”
And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand, Let loose of me, and suffer me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands, that I may lean upon them.
27 Ithempeli laligcwele abesilisa labesifazane; bonke ababusi bamaFilistiya babekhonapho, njalo phezu kophahla kwakulabesilisa labesifazane ababephose babe zinkulungwane ezintathu bebukele uSamsoni egida.
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and upon the roof there were about three thousand men and women, who looked on while Samson made sport.
28 USamsoni wasekhuleka kuThixo esithi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ake ungikhumbule. Oh Nkulunkulu, ake ungiqinise kanye nje futhi, kuthi ngokugalela okukodwa ngiphindisele kumaFilistiya amehlo ami amabili.”
And Samson called to Jehovah, and said, Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may take one vengeance upon the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 USamsoni wasebamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi, ithempeli elaligxile kuzo. Waziqinisa ngokweyama kuzo, isandla sakhe sokudla sikwenye lesenxele sikwenye,
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood (and he supported himself upon them), the one with his right hand and the other with his left.
30 uSamsoni wathi, “Kangife lamaFilistiya!” Wafuqa ngamandla akhe wonke, ithempeli lawela phezu kwababusi labantu bonke ababephakathi kwalo. Ngalokho wabulala abantu abanengi ekufeni kwakhe kulalapho esaphila.
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself with might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain in his life.
31 Emva kwalokho abafowabo labo bonke abendlu kayise bamlanda. Babuya laye bamngcwaba phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli ethuneni likaManowa uyise. Wayekhokhele abako-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amabili.
And his brethren came down, and all the house of his father, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zoreah and Eshtaol in the sepulchre of Manoah his father. And he had judged Israel twenty years.
