ABahluleli
15 Kwathi sekuzinsuku zokuvunwa kwengqoloyi, uSamsoni wahamba wayavakatshela umkakhe ethwele izinyane lembuzi. Wathi: “Ngifuna ukungena endlini yokulala* ngibone umkami.” Kodwa uyisezala kamvumelanga, 2 wathi: “Bengicabanga ukuthi awumthandi.*+ Yikho ngimendisele komunye wabakhaphi bakho.+ Umnawakhe kamuhle yini kulaye? Zithathele yena.” 3 USamsoni wasesithi: “Khathesi amaFilisti ngeke angisole nxa ngingawahlasela.”
4 USamsoni wasuka wayabamba amakhanka angu-300, wawabophanisa imisila ngamabili, wasebophela isibane esisodwa emisileni yawo. 5 Walumathisa izibane waseyekela amakhanka agijima ayangena emasimini amaFilisti. Kwatsha amabele wonke ayesevuniwe layengakavunwa, lamasimu amagilebisi lawama-oliva.
6 AmaFilisti athi: “Ngubani owenze lokhu?” Kwasekuthiwa: “NguSamsoni umkhwenyana womThimina. Wenze lokhu ngoba uyisezala wathatha umkakhe wamendisela kumkhaphi wakhe.”+ AmaFilisti athi ekuzwa lokhu asuka ayatshisa inkosikazi kaSamsoni loyise.+ 7 USamsoni wasesithi kuwo: “Nxa lingiphatha ngalindlela kangisoze ngiphumule ngize ngiphindisele.”+ 8 Yikho wawahlasela amaFilisti wabulala amanengi kakhulu.* Ngemva kwalokho wasuka wayahlala edwaleni elikhulu lase-Ethami.
9 AmaFilisti afika koJuda amisa inkamba yawo, abhodabhoda eLehi.+ 10 Abantu bakoJuda basebewabuza bathi: “Kungani lizosihlasela?” Wona aphendula athi: “Silande ukuzobopha uSamsoni ukuze simenze lokho asenze khona.” 11 Ngakho amadoda akoJuda angu-3 000 asuka aya edwaleni elikhulu lase-Ethami afika athi kuSamsoni: “Kanti awukwazi yini ukuthi amaFilisti ayasibusa?+ Pho kungani usidalele uhlupho olungaka?” Yena wathi: “Ngibenze lokho abangenze khona.” 12 Asesithi kuye: “Thina silande ukuzokubopha ukuze sikuhambise kumaFilisti.” USamsoni wathi: “Ngicela lifunge kimi ukuthi alisoze lingihlasele.” 13 Asesithi kuye: “Asisoze sikuhlasele. Sizakubopha kuphela sikuhambise kubo, ngeke sikubulale.”
Ngakho bambopha ngentambo ezimbili ezintsha basuka laye edwaleni lase-Ethami. 14 AmaFilisti athi embona efika eLehi ahlokoma ngentokozo. Umoya kaJehova wasusehlela kuye waba lamandla,+ waqamula intambo ayebotshwe ngazo ezandleni kwangathi zintanjana zelineni ezihangulwe lilangabi lomlilo.+ 15 Wasebona ithambo lomhlathi kababhemi elalingakawomi, walidobha wabulala ngalo amadoda angu-1 000.+ 16 USamsoni wathi:
“Ngomhlathi kababhemi ngibuthelele inqumbi phezu kwenqumbi!
Ngomhlathi kababhemi ngibulele amadoda angu-1 000.”+
17 Uthe eseqedile ukukhuluma walilahla ithambo lomhlathi kababhemi wasebiza indawo leyo ngokuthi yiRamathi-lehi.*+ 18 Wezwa esewome kakhulu wasekhala kuJehova esithi: “Nguwe owenze inceku yakho yanqoba kangaka. Manje khathesi sekumele ngife yini ngibulawa yikoma, besengiwela ezandleni zabantu abangasokanga?” 19 Ngakho uNkulunkulu waqhekeza umhlabathi egodini elaliseLehi kwasekuphuma amanzi,+ uSamsoni wanatha wezwa eselamandla futhi. Yikho wanika indawo leyo ibizo wathi yi-Eni-hakhore* njalo ilokhu ikhona eLehi kuze kube lamuhla.
20 Wahlulela abako-Israyeli ngesikhathi samaFilisti okweminyaka engu-20.+