Waamuzi 16
1 Samsoni alikwenda Gaza na akamwona kahaba huko, naye akalala pamoja naye.
One day Samson went to Gaza [city in the Philistia area]. He spent some time with a prostitute.
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.”
People soon found out that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together at the city gate and waited all night. They said to themselves, “When it dawns tomorrow morning, we will kill him [when he tries to leave the city].”
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 did not stay there all night. At midnight, he got up. He went to the city gate, he took hold of its two posts, and he lifted it up out of the ground, with its [connecting cross] bar still attached. He put it on his shoulders and carried it [many miles] uphill to Hebron.
4 Baada ya hayo, Samsoni alimpenda mwanamke aliyeishi katika bonde la Soreki. Jina lake alikuwa Delila.
Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, [and started to live with her]. She lived in Sorek Valley [in the Philistia area].
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 Philistine leaders went to her and said, “Find out from Samson what makes him so strong. And find out how we can subdue him and tie him up securely. If you do that, each of us will give you 1,100 pieces 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 what makes you so strong, and tell me how someone can subdue you and tie you up.”
7 Samsoni akamwambia, “Ikiwa watanifunga na kamba saba safi ambazo hazijakauka, nitakuwa dhaifu na kuwa kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”
Samson said, “If someone ties me with seven new bowstrings, ones that are not dry yet, I will become as weak as other men.”
8 Basi wakuu wa Wafilisti wakamletea Delila kamba saba ambazo hazijakauka, naye akamfunga Samsoni.
So [after Delilah told that to the Philistine leaders], they brought seven new bowstrings to Delilah.
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.
Then she hid the men in one of the rooms in her house. Then [while Samson was sleeping], she tied him up with the bowstrings. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come here to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as easily as though they were strings that had been singed in a fire. So the Philistines did not find out what made Samson so strong.
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 deceived me and lied to me! Now tell me [the truth, ] how someone can tie you up securely.”
11 Akamwambia, “Ikiwa watanifunga na kamba mpya ambayo haijawahi kutumika kwa kazi, nitakuwa dhaifu na kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”
Samson replied, “If someone ties me with new ropes, ones that have never been used, I will be as weak as other men.”
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 again, [she told the Philistine leaders, and] they [came and] hid in the room as they had done before. And again, while Samson was sleeping, she took the new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the ropes on his arms as easily as if 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, “You have deceived me and lied to me [again]! Please tell me how someone can tie you up securely!” Samson replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the threads you are weaving on the loom, and then fasten those threads with the pin [that makes the threads tight], then I will be as weak as other men.” So again, while Samson was sleeping on her lap, Delilah held the seven braids of his hair, and wove them into the threads on the loom,
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.
and she tightened them with the pin. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson woke up and pulled out the pin, and pulled his hair from the threads on the loom.
15 Akamwambia, “Wawezaje kusema,” Unanipenda, wakati hushiriki siri zako na mimi? Umenidhihaki mara tatu hizi na hukukuambia ni kwa jinsi gani unazo nguvu nyingi.”
Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say that you love me when you do not tell me the truth about yourself? You have deceived me three times, and you still have not told me what really makes you so strong!”
16 Kila siku alisisitiza kwa bidii na maneno yake, naye akamkemea sana kiasi kwamba alitamani kufa.
Day after day she nagged him like that. He thought he would die from her nagging [IDM].
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. '
Finally Samson told her the truth. He said, “I have been set apart for God since the day I was born. And because of that, my hair has never been cut. If my hair were shaved off, my strength would be gone, and I would be as weak as other men.”
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.
Delilah realized that this time he had told her the truth. So she summoned the Philistine leaders again, saying, “Come back one more time, because Samson has really told me everything [about why he is so strong]”. So the Philistine leaders returned and brought to Delilah the money [that they promised to give her].
19 Alimfanya alale katika magoti yake. Alimwita mtu avinyoe vifungo saba vya kichwa chake, naye akaanza kumshinda, kwa maana nguvu zake zilikuwa zimemwacha.
Again she lulled Samson to sleep, with his head in her lap. Then she called one of the Philistine men to come and shave off Samson’s hair. As he did that, Samson began to get weaker. And finally his strength was all gone.
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 [after she tied him up], she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” He woke up and thought, “I will do as I did before. I will shake [these ropes] off myself and be free!” But he did not realize that Yahweh had left him.
21 Wafilisti walimkamata na kumng'oa macho. Wakampeleka Gaza na kumfunga kwa shaba. Alikuwa akisaga ngano katika gerezani.
So the Philistine men seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they took him to Gaza. There they put him in prison and bound him with bronze chains. They made him [turn a millstone to] grind grain [every day].
22 Lakini nywele juu ya kichwa chake zilianza kukua tena baada ya kunyolewa.
But his hair started to grow again.
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.”
[Several months later] the Philistine leaders celebrated a big festival. During the festival they offered sacrifices to their god Dagon. They praised him, saying, “Our god has enabled us to defeat our great enemy Samson!”
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 other people saw Samson, they also praised their god Dagon, saying, “Samson ruined our crops and killed many of our people, but our god has put our enemy into our hands. Our god helped us to capture the one who has killed so many of us!”
25 Walipokuwa wakisherehekea, wakasema, 'Mwite Samsoni, aje kutufurahisha.' Walimwita Samsoni nje ya jela na akawafanya wacheke. Walimsimamisha katikati ya nguzo.
By that time the people were half-drunk. They shouted, “Bring Samson out of the prison! Bring him here so that he can entertain us!” So they brought Samson from the prison and made fun of him. Then they made him stand in the center of the temple. They made him stand between the two pillars that held up the roof.
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 was leading him by his hand, “Place my hands against the two pillars. I want to rest 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.
At that time the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine leaders were also there. And there were about 3,000 people on the roof, watching Samson and making fun of him.
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 prayed, saying, “Yahweh, my Lord, think about me again! Please give me strength one more time, so that I may get revenge on the Philistines for gouging out my 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.
Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars of the temple. He put his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other pillar.
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.
Then he shouted [to God], “Let me die with the Philistines!”, and he pushed with all his strength. [The pillars collapsed], and the temple crashed down on the Philistine leaders and all the other Philistine people, [and they all died]. So Samson killed more people when he died than he had killed all during 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.
Later his brothers and their relatives went down [from Zorah to Gaza] to get his body. They took it back home and buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, at the place where Samson’s father Manoah was buried. Samson had been Israel’s leader for 20 years.
