Abahluleli 16
1 Ngelinye ilanga uSamsoni waya eGaza, lapho abona khona isifebe. Walala lalo ngalobobusuku.
Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there, and he went to bed with her.
2 Abantu beGaza batshelwa ukuthi, “USamsoni ulapha!” Ngakho indawo leyo bayihonqolozela bamcathamela ubusuku bonke esangweni ledolobho. Kabenzanga lutho ebusuku, besithi, “Sizambulala emadabukakusa.”
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 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.
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 Ngemva kwesikhathi, wathandana lowesifazane esiGodini saseSoreki owayethiwa nguDelila.
After this, Samson came to love a woman who lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her 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.”
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 Ngakho uDelila wathi kuSamsoni, “Ngitshela imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu kanye lokuthi ungabotshwa unqotshwe njani.”
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 USamsoni waphendula wathi, “Nxa umuntu angangibopha ngemichilo eyisikhombisa engonyiswanga, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”
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 Ababusi bamaFilistiya basebemlethela imichilo eyisikhombisa emitsha eyayingonyiswanga, wambopha ngayo.
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 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 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 UDelila wasesithi kuSamsoni, “Udlale ngami; ungiqambele amanga. Khathesi-ke ngitshela ukuthi ungabotshwa njani.”
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 Yena wathi, “Umuntu angangibopha aqinise ngamagoda amatsha angakaze asetshenziswe, ngizakuba buthakathaka njengomuntu wonke.”
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 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.
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 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,
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 wazelukela elenjini ngosungulo. Wambiza njalo wathi kuye, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni wadonsa isibhebhedu losungulo kanye lelembu.
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 UDelila wasesithi, kuye, “Ungatsho njani uthi, ‘Ngiyakuthanda,’ wena ungangithembi na? Lokhu ngokwesithathu udlala ngami njalo kawungitshelanga imfihlo yamandla akho amakhulu.”
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 Ngokubelesela okunje wamncenga insuku zonke waze wacina esenengeka kakhulu.
Every day she pressed him hard with her words, and she pressured him so much that he wished he would die.
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.”
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 Kwathi uDelila ebona ukuthi wayesemtshele konke, wathumela ilizwi kubabusi bamaFilistiya elithi, “Wozani futhi; usengitshele konke.” Ngakho ababusi bamaFilistiya babuyela bephethe isiliva ngezandla zabo.
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 Kwathi esemlalisile ethangazini lakhe, wabiza umuntu ukuba aphuce izixha eziyisikhombisa zezinwele zakhe, ngakho waqalisa ukumnqoba. Amandla akhe aphela kuye.
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 Wasememeza wathi, “Samsoni, amaFilistiya asephezu kwakho!” Wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe wacabanga wathi, “Ngizaphuma njengakuqala ngizikhulule.” Kodwa wayengazi ukuthi uThixo wayesemtshiyile.
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 AmaFilistiya ambamba, amkopola amehlo asehamba laye eGaza. Esembophe ngamaketane ethusi, amupha umsebenzi wokuchola entolongweni.
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 Kodwa inwele ekhanda lakhe zaqalisa ukukhula futhi emva kokuphucwa.
But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
23 Ababusi bamaFilistiya babuthana ukuba banikele umhlatshelo omkhulu kuDagoni uNkulunkulu wabo njalo bathokoze besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele uSamsoni, isitha sethu, ezandleni zethu.”
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 Kwathi abantu bembona, badumisa unkulunkulu wabo besithi, “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele isitha sethu ezandleni zethu, sona esachitha ilizwe lethu sabulala abanengi bethu.”
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 Bephakathi kokuthokoza, baklabalala bathi, “Lethani uSamsoni azesilibazisa.” Ngakho uSamsoni bayambiza entolongweni, wazabadlalela. Kwathi sebemise phakathi kwezinsika,
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 uSamsoni wathi encekwini eyayimbambe isandla, “Ngibeka lapho engizathinta khona izinsika ezisekele ithempeli, ukuze ngeyame kuzo.”
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 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. 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 USamsoni wasekhuleka kuThixo esithi, “Oh Thixo Wobukhosi, ake ungikhumbule. Oh Nkulunkulu, ake ungiqinise kanye nje futhi, kuthi ngokugalela okukodwa ngiphindisele kumaFilistiya amehlo ami amabili.”
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 USamsoni wasebamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi, ithempeli elaligxile kuzo. Waziqinisa ngokweyama kuzo, isandla sakhe sokudla sikwenye lesenxele sikwenye,
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 uSamsoni wathi, “Kangife lamaFilistiya!” Wafuqa ngamandla akhe wonke, ithempeli lawela phezu kwababusi labantu bonke ababephakathi kwalo. Ngalokho wabulala abantu abanengi ekufeni kwakhe kulalapho esaphila.
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 Emva kwalokho abafowabo labo bonke abendlu kayise bamlanda. Babuya laye bamngcwaba phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli ethuneni likaManowa uyise. Wayekhokhele abako-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amabili.
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.
