< Abahluleli 14 >
1 USamsoni wasesehlela eThiminathi, wabona owesifazana eThiminathi wamadodakazi amaFilisti.
Samson went down to Timnah, and there he saw a woman, one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 Wenyuka wabatshela oyise lonina wathi: Ngibone owesifazana eThiminathi wamadodakazi amaFilisti. Ngakho-ke ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.
When he returned, he told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me to be 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.
His father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people? Are you going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for when I look at her, she pleases me.”
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 this matter came from Yahweh, for he desired to create a conflict with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling 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 they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And, look, there one of the young lions came up and was roaring at him.
6 UMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kwakhe; walidabula njengodabula izinyane; njalo kwakungelalutho esandleni sakhe; kodwa kabatshelanga oyise lonina lokho akwenzileyo.
Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on him, and he tore the lion apart as easily as he would have torn apart a small goat, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Wasesehla, wakhuluma lowesifazana, njalo wayethandeka emehlweni kaSamsoni.
He went and spoke with the woman, and when he looked at her, she pleased Samson.
8 Lemva kwezinsuku wabuyela ukuyamthatha; waphambuka ukuthi abone isidumbu sesilwane, khangela-ke, kwakulomtshitshi wenyosi loluju esidunjini sesilwane.
A few days later when he returned to marry her, he turned aside to look for the carcass of the lion. And, look, there was a swarm of bees and honey in what was left of the lion's body.
9 Wazithapha ngezandla zakhe, wahamba, ehamba esidla, wafika kuyise lakunina, wabanika, badla. Kodwa kabatshelanga ukuthi wayethaphe uluju esidunjini sesilwane.
He scraped up the honey in his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and his mother, he gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them he had taken the honey out of what was left of the lion's body.
10 Uyise wasesehla waya kowesifazana, loSamsoni wenza idili khona, ngoba ayesenza njalo amajaha.
Samson's father went down to where the woman was, and Samson gave a feast there, for this was the custom of the young men.
11 Kwasekusithi lapho bembona bathatha abanakwabo abangamatshumi amathathu ukuze babe laye.
As soon as her relatives saw him, they brought him thirty of their friends 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 now tell you a riddle. If one of you can find it out and tell me the answer during the seven days of the feast, I will give out thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.
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 will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, so 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 was something to eat; out of the strong was something sweet.” But his guests could not find the answer in three days.
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 fourth day they said to Samson's wife, “Trick your husband so that he may tell us the answer to the riddle, or we will burn up you and your father's house. Did you invite us here in order to make us poor?”
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 started to weep in front of him; she said, “All you do is hate me! You do not love me. You have told a riddle to some of my people, but you have not told me the answer.” Samson said to her, “Look here, if I have not told my father or my mother, should I tell you?”
17 Wakhala inyembezi phambi kwakhe insuku eziyisikhombisa beseledili. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa wamtshela ngoba wamcindezela kakhulu. Wasewatshela amadodana abantu bakibo.
She cried during the seven days that their feast lasted. On the seventh day he told her the answer because she pressured him very much. She told the answer to the relatives 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.
Before the sun went down on the seventh day the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found the answer to 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.
Then Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on Samson with power. Samson went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men. He took their plunder, and he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house.
20 Kodwa umkaSamsoni waba ngowomnakwabo, owayengumngane wakhe.
Samson's wife was given to his best friend.