Abahluleli 14
1 USamsoni wasesehlela eThiminathi, wabona owesifazana eThiminathi wamadodakazi amaFilisti.
Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 Wenyuka wabatshela oyise lonina wathi: Ngibone owesifazana eThiminathi wamadodakazi amaFilisti. Ngakho-ke ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.
He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”
3 Kodwa uyise lonina bathi kuye: Kakula owesifazana yini phakathi kwamadodakazi abafowenu loba phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bakithi ukuthi uyethatha umfazi kumaFilisti angasokanga? USamsoni wasesithi kuyise: Ngithathele yena ngoba yena uyathandeka emehlweni ami.
Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is not there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
4 Kodwa uyise lonina babengazi ukuthi lokho kuvela eNkosini, ukuthi wayedinga ithuba lokumelana lamaFilisti; ngoba ngalesosikhathi amaFilisti ayebusa phezu kukaIsrayeli.
But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
5 USamsoni wasesehla loyise lonina esiya eThiminathi, bafika ezivinini eThiminathi, khangela-ke, ibhongo lesilwane lambhongela.
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared at him.
6 UMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kwakhe; walidabula njengodabula izinyane; njalo kwakungelalutho esandleni sakhe; kodwa kabatshelanga oyise lonina lokho akwenzileyo.
The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat with his bare hands, but he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Wasesehla, wakhuluma lowesifazana, njalo wayethandeka emehlweni kaSamsoni.
He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.
8 Lemva kwezinsuku wabuyela ukuyamthatha; waphambuka ukuthi abone isidumbu sesilwane, khangela-ke, kwakulomtshitshi wenyosi loluju esidunjini sesilwane.
After a while he returned to take her, and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
9 Wazithapha ngezandla zakhe, wahamba, ehamba esidla, wafika kuyise lakunina, wabanika, badla. Kodwa kabatshelanga ukuthi wayethaphe uluju esidunjini sesilwane.
He took it into his hands, and went on, eating as he went. He came to his father and mother and gave to them, and they ate, but he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the lion’s body.
10 Uyise wasesehla waya kowesifazana, loSamsoni wenza idili khona, ngoba ayesenza njalo amajaha.
His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.
11 Kwasekusithi lapho bembona bathatha abanakwabo abangamatshumi amathathu ukuze babe laye.
When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 USamsoni wasesithi kibo: Ake ngililibhe ngelibho; uba lingangitshela lona kuhle ensukwini eziyisikhombisa zedili, lilithole, ngizalinika izembatho zelembu elihle ezingamatshumi amathathu lezembatho zokuntshintsha ezingamatshumi amathathu.
Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
13 Kodwa uba lingelakho ukungitshela, khona lina lizanginika izembatho zelembu elihle ezingamatshumi amathathu lezembatho zokuntshintsha ezingamatshumi amathathu. Basebesithi kuye: Libha ilibho lakho ukuze silizwe.
but if you cannot tell me the answer, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, that we may hear it.”
14 Wasesithi kubo: Kodlayo kwaphuma ukudla, lakolamandla kwaphuma okumnandi. Kodwa babengelakulichasisa ilibho ensukwini ezintathu.
He said to them, “Out of the eater came out food. Out of the strong came out sweetness.” They could not in three days declare the riddle.
15 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bathi kumkaSamsoni: Huga umkakho ukuthi asichasisele ilibho, hlezi sikutshise lendlu kayihlo ngomlilo. Lisinxusele ukuthi lisithathele esilakho yini? Akunjalo yini?
On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Is not that so?”
16 UmkaSamsoni wasekhala inyembezi phambi kwakhe wathi: Uyangizonda nje, kawungithandi; uwalibhile ilibho amadodana abantu bakithi, kodwa mina kawungitshelanga. Wasesithi kuye: Khangela ubaba lomama kangibatshelanga, wena-ke ngizakutshela yini?
Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, “You just hate me, and do not love me. You have told a riddle to the children of my people, and have not told it to me.” He said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father or my mother, so why should I tell you?”
17 Wakhala inyembezi phambi kwakhe insuku eziyisikhombisa beseledili. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa wamtshela ngoba wamcindezela kakhulu. Wasewatshela amadodana abantu bakibo.
She wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and on the seventh day, he told her, because she pressed him severely; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 Amadoda omuzi asesithi kuye ngosuku lwesikhombisa ilanga lingakatshoni: Kuyini okumnandi okwedlula uluju? Njalo kuyini okulamandla kulesilwane? Wasesithi kiwo: Uba belingalimanga ngethokazi lami, belingayikulithola ilibho lami.
The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”
19 UMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kwakhe, wehlela eAshikeloni, watshaya kuwo amadoda angamatshumi amathathu, wathatha izembatho zawo, wanika izembatho zokuntshintsha labo ababechasise ilibho. Intukuthelo yakhe yasivutha wasesenyukela endlini kayise.
The LORD’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them. He took their plunder, then gave the changes of clothing to those who declared the riddle. His anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house.
20 Kodwa umkaSamsoni waba ngowomnakwabo, owayengumngane wakhe.
But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.
