Atemmufoɔ 16
1 Ɛda bi, Samson kɔɔ Filistifoɔ kuropɔn Gasa mu, na ɔne ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ bi kɔdaa anadwo no.
Samson went to Gaza and saw a prostitute there, and he went to bed with her.
2 Ankyɛre na kuro mma no tee sɛ Samson wɔ hɔ, enti Gasa mmarima boaboaa wɔn ho ano na wɔtwɛnee kuro no ɛpono ano anadwo mu no nyinaa. Wɔyɛɛ komm anadwo no kaa sɛ, “Adeɛ kye a yɛbɛkum no.”
The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” The Gazites surrounded the place and in secret, they waited for him all night at the city gate. They kept silent all night. They had said, “Let us wait until daylight, and then let us kill him.”
3 Na Samson daa hɔ ara kɔsii dasuo mu. Ɔsɔre sɔɔ kuro no apono no ne nʼaponnwa mmienu mu hodwoo no, na ɔtutuu dadeɛ abaa a ɛda akyire ne deɛ ɛkeka ho nyinaa. Ɔde ne nyinaa guu ne mmatire so, soa de kɔɔ bepɔ bi a ɛne Hebron di nhwɛanimu no atifi.
Samson lay in bed until midnight. At midnight he got up and he took hold of the city gate and its two posts. He pulled them up out of the ground, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the hill, in front of Hebron.
4 Akyire no, Samson nyaa ɔbaa bi wɔ Sorek bɔnhwa no mu a na wɔfrɛ no Delila.
After this, Samson came to love a woman who lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah.
5 Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ kɔɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ sɛ wobɛtumi adaadaa Samson ma wakyerɛ wo deɛ ɛma ɔnya ahoɔden saa ne sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi adi ne so, akyekyere no pampee. Na yɛn mu biara bɛma wo nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu ne fa.”
The rulers of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, “Trick Samson to see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him in order to humiliate him. Do this, and each one of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
6 Enti, Delila ka kyerɛɛ Samson sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me deɛ ɛma wo ahoɔden saa ne deɛ ɛbɛyɛ a yɛbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “Please, tell me how is it that you are so strong, and how could anyone bind you, so you might be controlled?”
7 Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ obi de agyan so nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ kyekyere me a, mɛyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ onipa biara.”
Samson said to her, “If they tie me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man.”
8 Enti, Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no de agyan so nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ brɛɛ Delila maa ɔde kyekyeree Samson.
Then the rulers of the Philistines brought up to Delilah seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied Samson up with them.
9 Saa ɛberɛ yi na ɔde mmarima atɛ wɔ adan a ɛwɔ ne fie no mu baako mu, na ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson, Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!” Nanso, ɔtetee agyan nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ no mu te sɛ ahoma bi a wɔde aka ogya dɛreɛ. Enti, wɔanhunu nʼahoɔden no ahintasɛm.
Now she had men hiding in secret, staying in her inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings like a thread of yarn when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10 Akyire yi, Delila ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wodii me ho fɛ, twaa me nkontompo. Afei, mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee.”
Then Delilah said to Samson, “This is how you have deceived me and told me lies. Please, tell me how you can be overpowered.”
11 Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ wɔde ntampehoma mono a wɔmfa nnii dwuma biara da kyekyere me a, meyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ onipa obiara.”
He said to her, “If they tie me up with new ropes which have never been used for work, I will become weak and like any other man.”
12 Enti, Delila kɔfaa ntampehoma mono de kyekyeree no. Saa ɛberɛ no na mmarima no akɔtɛ wɔ dan mu te sɛ kane no. Bio, Delila teaam frɛɛ no sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ aba sɛ wɔrebɛkye wo!” Nanso, Samson tetee ntampehoma no mu firii ne nsa so te sɛ asaawa bi.
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” The men lying in wait were in the inner room. But Samson tore off the ropes from his arms like they were a piece of thread.
13 Delila ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wodii me ho fɛ, twaa me nkontompo! Worenkyerɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee anaa?” Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ wonwono me tirinwi mmɛsa nson no bɔ ntoma bamma a ɛwɔ wʼakurokurowa no mu a, mɛyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ obiara.” Enti ɔdaeɛ no, Delila bɔɔ ne tirinwi mmɛsa nson no
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you may be overpowered.” Samson said to her, “If you weave seven locks of my hair into a fabric on a loom, and then nail that to the loom, I will be like any other man.”
14 de bɔɔ ntoma bamma a ɛwɔ akurokurowa no so. Bio, ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!” Ɛhɔ ara, Samson nyaneeɛ, twee akurokurowa no yii ne tirinwi no firii ntoma bamma no mu.
While he slept, Delilah wove seven locks of his hair into the fabric on the loom and nailed it to the loom, and she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He woke from his sleep and he pulled out the fabric and the pin from the loom.
15 Delila sɔm nʼano kaa sɛ, “Wotumi ka sɛ wodɔ me, wɔ ɛberɛ a wonka wo kokoamsɛm nkyerɛ me? Woadi me ho fɛ mprɛnsa, nanso wonkaa deɛ ɛma wo ahoɔden no nkyerɛɛ me!”
She said to him, “How can you say, 'I love you,' when you do not share your secrets with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me how you have such great strength.”
16 Odwan ne ho adekyeɛ biara kɔsii sɛ afei na wabrɛ no.
Every day she pressed him hard with her words, and she pressured him so much that he wished he would die.
17 Ne korakora no, Samson kaa nʼahintasɛm kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wɔnyii me tirinwi da, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde me maa Onyankopɔn sɛ Nasareni firi awoɔ mu. Sɛ wɔyi me tirinwi a, mʼahoɔden no bɛfiri me mu ama mayɛ mmerɛ te sɛ obiara.”
So Samson told her everything and said to her, “I have never had a razor cut the hair on my head, for I have been a Nazirite for God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like every other man.”
18 Delila hunuu sɛ afei deɛ waka nokorɛ akyerɛ no no, ɔsoma kɔfrɛɛ Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no sɛ, “Mommra bio, ɛfiri sɛ waka biribiara akyerɛ me.” Enti, Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no sane wɔn akyi kɔfaa sika no baeɛ.
When Delilah saw that he had told her the truth about everything, she sent and called for the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me everything.” Then the rulers of the Philistines went up to her, bringing the silver in their hands.
19 Delila dɛfɛdɛfɛɛ Samson ma ɔdaeɛ a, ne ti da ne srɛ so. Ɔfrɛɛ ɔbarima bi baeɛ ma ɔbɛyii ne tirinwi sɛdeɛ ne kyere no bɛyɛ yie. Na nʼahoɔden no firii ne mu.
She had him fall asleep in her lap. She called for a man to shave off the seven locks of his head, and she began to subdue him, for his strength had left him.
20 Afei, ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!” Ɔnyaneeɛ no, ɔkaa wɔ ne tirim sɛ, “Mɛyɛ sɛdeɛ kane no na meyɛ no mɛwoso me ho agye me ho.” Nanso na ɔnnim sɛ Awurade afiri ne mu.
She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He woke up out of his sleep and said, “I will get out like the other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that Yahweh had left him.
21 Na Filistifoɔ no kyeree no, tutuu nʼani. Wɔde no kɔɔ Gasa na wɔguu no kɔbere mfrafraeɛ mpokyerɛ ma ɔyamm atokoɔ wɔ nnedua fie.
The Philistines captured him and put out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. He turned the millstone at the prison house.
22 Nanso, ankyɛre na ne tirinwi no hyɛɛ aseɛ fuiɛ.
But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
23 Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ hyɛɛ fa kɛseɛ bi, bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa wɔn nyame Dagon dii ahurisie kaa sɛ, “Yɛn nyame de Samson a ɔyɛ yɛn ɔtamfoɔ no ahyɛ yɛn nsam!”
The rulers of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. They said, “Our god has conquered Samson, our enemy, and put him in our grasp.”
24 Ɛberɛ a nnipa no hunuu no no, wɔkamfoo wɔn nyame kaa sɛ, “Yɛn nyame de yɛn ɔtamfoɔ ahyɛ yɛn nsam; deɛ ɔkunkumm yɛn mu bebree no yɛn nsa aka no!”
When the people saw him, they praised their god, for they said, “Our god has conquered our enemy and given him to us—the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us.”
25 Nnipa no boroo nsã kakra no, wɔhyɛɛ sɛ, “Momfa Samson mmra na ɔmmɛgye yɛn ani.” Enti, wɔyii Samson firii nnedua fie. Wɔde no gyinaa asɔredan no mfimfini wɔ adum mmienu a ɛkura ɛdan no mmɔsoɔ no ntam.
When they were celebrating, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may make us laugh.” They called for Samson out of the prison and he made them laugh. They made him stand between the pillars.
26 Samson ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ a ɔkura ne nsa rekyerɛ no kwan no sɛ, “Ma memfa me nsa nsosɔ adum mmienu no mu, na mennye mʼahome.”
Samson said to the boy who held his hand, “Permit me to touch the pillars on which the building rests, so that I can lean against them.”
27 Na nnipa ahyɛ asɔrefie hɔ ma tɔ. Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no nyinaa wɔ hɔ bi. Na ɛdan no so mmɔsoɔ no nso na mmarima ne mmaa bɛyɛ mpensa wɔ so a wɔrehwɛ Samson na wɔredi ne ho fɛ.
Now the house was full of men and women. All the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who were looking on while Samson was entertaining them.
28 Na Samson su frɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Ao Otumfoɔ Awurade, kae me bio. Ao Onyankopɔn, mesrɛ wo ma me ahoɔden bio na mentua Filistifoɔ so ka wɔ mʼani a wɔatutu no so.”
Samson called to Yahweh and said, “Lord Yahweh, call me to mind! Please strengthen me only this once, God, so that I may have revenge in one blow on the Philistines for taking my two eyes.”
29 Afei Samson sosɔɔ adum mmienu a ɛwɔ asɔrefie no mfimfini no mu. Ɔde nʼahoɔden nyinaa piaeɛ.
Samson held on to the two middle pillars on which the building rested, and he leaned against them, one pillar with his right hand, and the other with his left.
30 Samson bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ma me ne Filistifoɔ no nwu.” Na asɔrefie no dwiri guu Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no ne nnipa no nyinaa so. Enti, ɔkumm nnipa bebree sene dodoɔ a ɔkumm wɔn ɛberɛ a na ɔte ase no.
Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He stretched out with his strength and the building fell on the rulers and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed when he died were more than those he killed during his life.
31 Akyire yi, ne nuammarima ne nʼabusuafoɔ a wɔaka kɔfaa no. Wɔde no kɔɔ ne kurom kɔsiee no wɔ Sora ne Estaol ntam, baabi a wɔsiee nʼagya Manoa hɔ. Samson dii Israelfoɔ so ɔtemmufoɔ mfeɛ aduonu.
Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down. They took him, brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah, his father. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.
