< Waamuzi 16 >

1 Samsoni alikwenda Gaza na akamwona kahaba huko, naye akalala pamoja naye.
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.
2 Watu wa Gaza wakaambiwa, “Samsoni amekuja hapa.” Watu wa Gaza wakazunguka mahali hapo kwa siri, wakamngoja usiku wote katika lango la jiji. Walikaa kimya usiku wote. Wakisema, “Hebu tusubiri mpaka mchana, na kisha tumwuue.”
When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”
3 Samsoni akalala kitandani mpaka usiku wa manane. Usiku wa manane akaamka na akashika mlango wa jiji na miimo yake miwili. Akavivuta kutoka nje, komeo na vyote, akaviweka kwenye mabega yake, akavichukua hadi juu ya kilima, mbele ya Hebroni.
But Samson lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.
4 Baada ya hayo, Samsoni alimpenda mwanamke aliyeishi katika bonde la Soreki. Jina lake alikuwa Delila.
Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 Wale wakuu wa Wafilisti wakamwendea, wakamwambia, “mdanganye Samsoni ili uone mahali zilipo nguvu zake kuu, na kwa namna gani tunaweza kumshinda, ili tumfunge na kumtesa. Fanya hili, na kila mmoja wetu atakupa vipande 1, 100 vya fedha.”
The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
6 Ndipo Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Tafadhali, niambie ni kwa jinsi gani wewe ni mwenye nguvu sana, na kwa namna gani mtu anaweza kukufunga, ili aweze kukudhibiti?”
So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7 Samsoni akamwambia, “Ikiwa watanifunga na kamba saba safi ambazo hazijakauka, nitakuwa dhaifu na kuwa kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”
Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”
8 Basi wakuu wa Wafilisti wakamletea Delila kamba saba ambazo hazijakauka, naye akamfunga Samsoni.
So the lords of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.
9 Sasa alikuwa na watu waliojificha kwa siri, walikaa katika chumba chake cha ndani. Akamwambia, “Wafilisti wako juu yako, Samsoni!” Lakini akazikata kamba kama uzi wakati unapogusa moto. Na hawakujifunza siri ya nguvu zake.
While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.
10 Ndipo Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Ndivyo ulivyonidanganya mimi na kuniambia uongo. Tafadhali, niambie kwa namna gani unaweza kufungwa.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”
11 Akamwambia, “Ikiwa watanifunga na kamba mpya ambayo haijawahi kutumika kwa kazi, nitakuwa dhaifu na kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”
He replied, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man.”
12 Basi Delila alichukua kamba mpya akamfunga pamoja naye, akamwambia, “Wafilisti wako juu yako Samsoni!” Watu waliokuwa wakisubiri walikuwa ndani ya chumba cha ndani. Lakini Samsoni akaondoa kamba kutoka mikono yake kama kilikuwa kipande cha uzi.
So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.
13 Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Mpaka sasa umenidanganya na kuniambia uongo. Niambie kwa namna gani unaweza kufungwa.” Samsoni akamwambia, 'Ikiwa utavifuma vifungo saba vya nywele zangu na kuvifunga kwenye kitambaa, kisha kufunga kwenye msumari, nitakuwa kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me all along! Tell me how you can be tied up.” He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the web of a loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man.”
14 Alipokuwa amelala, Dalila akavifuma vifungo saba vya nywele zake akavifunga ndani ya kitambaa na kuzifunga kwenye msumari, akamwambia, “Wafilisti wako juu yako, Samsoni!” Aliamka kutoka usingizini akang'oa kitambaa na pini zilizokuwa zimefungwa.
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.
15 Akamwambia, “Wawezaje kusema,” Unanipenda, wakati hushiriki siri zako na mimi? Umenidhihaki mara tatu hizi na hukukuambia ni kwa jinsi gani unazo nguvu nyingi.”
“How can you say, ‘I love you,’” she asked, “when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and failed to reveal to me the source of your great strength!”
16 Kila siku alisisitiza kwa bidii na maneno yake, naye akamkemea sana kiasi kwamba alitamani kufa.
Finally, after she had pressed him daily with her words and pleaded until he was sick to death,
17 Basi Samsoni alimwambia kila kitu, akamwambia, “Wembe haujawahi kukata nywele juu ya kichwa changu, kwa maana nimekuwa Mnaziri kwa Mungu kutoka tumboni mwa mama yangu. Ikiwa kichwa changu kitanyolewa, basi nguvu zangu zitaniacha, nami nitakuwa dhaifu na kuwa kama kila mtu mwingine. '
Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”
18 Delila alipoona kwamba amemwambia ukweli juu ya kila kitu, akawatuma na kuwaita watawala wa Wafilisti, akisema, “Njooni tena, kwa maana ameniambia kila kitu.” Ndipo wakuu wa Wafilisti wakamwendea, wakaleta fedha mkononi mwao.
When Delilah realized that he had revealed to her all that was in his heart, she sent this message to the lords of the Philistines: “Come up once more, for he has revealed to me all that is in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came to her, bringing the money in their hands.
19 Alimfanya alale katika magoti yake. Alimwita mtu avinyoe vifungo saba vya kichwa chake, naye akaanza kumshinda, kwa maana nguvu zake zilikuwa zimemwacha.
And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him.
20 Alisema, “Wafilisti wako juu yako, Samsoni!” Aliamka nje ya usingizi wake akasema, “Nitatoka nje kama nyakati nyingine na kujiweka huru.” Lakini hakujua kwamba Bwana amemwacha.
Then she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
21 Wafilisti walimkamata na kumng'oa macho. Wakampeleka Gaza na kumfunga kwa shaba. Alikuwa akisaga ngano katika gerezani.
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.
22 Lakini nywele juu ya kichwa chake zilianza kukua tena baada ya kunyolewa.
However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.
23 Watawala wa Wafilisti walikusanyika ili kutoa dhabihu kubwa kwa Dagoni mungu wao, na kufurahi. Walisema, “mungu wetu amemshinda Samsoni, adui yetu, na kumtia katika ufahamu wetu.”
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
24 Watu walipomwona, walimsifu mungu wao, kwa sababu walisema, “mungu wetu ameshinda adui yetu na kutupa sisi - mharibifu wa nchi yetu, ambaye aliwaua wengi wetu.”
And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.”
25 Walipokuwa wakisherehekea, wakasema, 'Mwite Samsoni, aje kutufurahisha.' Walimwita Samsoni nje ya jela na akawafanya wacheke. Walimsimamisha katikati ya nguzo.
And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.
26 Samsoni akamwambia yule kijana ambaye alikuwa ameshika mkono wake, 'Niruhusu nishike nguzo zilizoshikilia nyumba hii, ili nipate kuegemea.”
Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.”
27 Sasa nyumba ilikuwa imejaa wanaume na wanawake. Watawala wote wa Wafilisti walikuwa huko. Juu ya paa kulikuwa na wanaume na wanawake elfu tatu, ambao walikuwa wakiangalia wakati Samsoni alipokuwa akiwafurahisha.
Now the temple was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.
28 Samsoni akamwita Bwana, akasema, “Bwana MUNGU, nipe nia! Tafadhali niimarishe mara moja tu, Mungu, ili nipate kulipiza kisasi kwa Wafilisti kwa kuchukua macho yangu mawili.
Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”
29 Samsoni aliweka nguzo mbili katikati ambzo zinashikilia nyumba hiyo, naye akaegemea juu yake, nguzo moja kwa mkono wake wa kuume, na mwingine kwa kushoto kwake.
And Samson reached out for the two central pillars supporting the temple. Bracing himself against them with his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other,
30 Samsoni akasema, “Na nife pamoja na Wafilisti!” Alipanda kwa nguvu zake na jengo likaanguka juu ya watawala na juu ya watu wote waliokuwa ndani yake. Hivyo waliouawa wakati alikufa walikuwa zaidi ya wale waliouawa wakati wa maisha yake.
Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people in it. So in his death he killed more than he had killed in his life.
31 Kisha ndugu zake na nyumba yote ya baba yake wakashuka. Wakamchukua, wakamrudisha na kumzika kati ya Sora na Eshtaoli katika mahali pa kuzikwa Manoa, baba yake. Samsoni alikuwa mwamuzi wa Israeli kwa miaka ishirini.
Then Samson’s brothers and his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. And he had judged Israel twenty years.

< Waamuzi 16 >