< Abahluleli 15 >
1 Kwathi emva kwezinsuku ezithile, ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi, uSamsoni wethekelela umkakhe elezinyane lembuzi. Wathi: Kangingene kumkami endlini. Kodwa uyise kamvumelanga ukungena.
2 Uyise wasesithi: Isibili ngakhuluma ukuthi usumzonda lokumzonda; ngakho ngamnika umkhaphi wakho. Umnawakhe kamuhle kulaye yini? Ngiyacela, kabe ngowakho esikhundleni sakhe.
3 USamsoni wasesithi kubo: Khathesi angilacala mayelana lamaFilisti nxa ngiwenzela okubi.
4 Ngakho uSamsoni wahamba, wabamba amakhanka angamakhulu amathathu, wathatha izihlanti, wafulathelisa umsila uqondana lomsila, wafaka isihlanti phakathi kwemisila emibili phakathi laphakathi.
5 Kwathi esethungele umlilo ezihlantini, wawayekela ahamba emabeleni emiyo amaFilisti, watshisa kusukela ezinqunjini zamabele kusiya emabeleni emiyo kusiya lezivinini lezihlahla zemihlwathi.
6 AmaFilisti asesithi: Ngubani owenze lokhu? Bathi: USamsoni, umkhwenyana womThimina; ngoba uthethe umkakhe, wamnika umkhaphi wakhe. AmaFilisti asesenyuka, amtshisa yena loyise ngomlilo.
7 USamsoni wasesithi kuwo: Lanxa lenze njalo, kanti ngizaphindisela kini, emva kwalokho ngiyekele.
8 Wasebatshaya, umlenze phezu kwethangazi, ukubulala okukhulu. Wasesehla wahlala ebhalwini lwedwala leEtamu.
9 AmaFilisti asesenyuka amisa inkamba koJuda, asabalala eLehi.
10 Amadoda akoJuda asesithi: Lenyukeleleni ukumelana lathi? Athi: Senyukelele ukubopha uSamsoni, ukuze senze kuye njengalokho akwenze kithi.
11 Kwasekusehla amadoda azinkulungwane ezintathu akoJuda aya ebhalwini lwedwala leEtamu, athi kuSamsoni: Kawazi yini ukuthi amaFilisti ayasibusa? Pho, kuyini lokhu okwenze kithi? Wasesithi kibo: Njengokwenza kwawo kimi ngenze njalo kuwo.
12 Basebesithi kuye: Sehlele ukukubopha ukuze sikunikele esandleni samaFilisti. USamsoni wasesithi kibo: Fungani kimi ukuthi lina kaliyikungihlasela.
13 Basebekhuluma kuye bathi: Hatshi, kodwa sizakubopha lokukubopha, sikunikele esandleni sawo, kodwa oqotho kasiyikukubulala. Basebembopha ngamagoda amabili amatsha, bamenyusa edwaleni.
14 Kwathi esefikile eLehi, amaFilisti aklabalala emhlangabeza. UMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kwakhe, lamagoda ayesengalweni zakhe aba njengefilakisi etshiswe ngomlilo, lezibopho zakhe zancibilika zasuka ezandleni zakhe.
15 Wasethola umhlathi omutsha kababhemi, welula isandla sakhe wawuthatha, watshaya ngawo amadoda ayinkulungwane.
16 USamsoni wasesithi: Ngomhlathi kababhemi, inqumbi phezu kwezinqumbi, ngomhlathi kababhemi ngitshaye amadoda ayinkulungwane.
17 Kwasekusithi eseqedile ukukhuluma wawulahla umhlathi esandleni sakhe, wayibiza leyondawo ngokuthi iRamathi-Lehi.
18 Wayesomile kakhulu, wakhala eNkosini wathi: Wena unikile lokhukukhululwa okukhulu ngesandla senceku yakho; khathesi-ke sengizakufa ngokoma, ngiwele esandleni sabangasokanga yini?
19 UNkulunkulu waseqhekeza igodi elaliseLehi, kwaphuma amanzi kilo. Kwathi esenathile, umoya wakhe wabuya waqaqabuka. Ngalokho wabiza ibizo lawo ngokuthi yiEni-Hakore, oseLehi kuze kube lamuhla.
20 Wasesahlulela uIsrayeli ensukwini zamaFilisti iminyaka engamatshumi amabili.
