AbAhluleli 15 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

USamsoni nezimpungushe ezingamakhulu amathathu

¹ Kodwa kwathi emva kwesikhathi, ngesikhathi sokuvuna ukolweni, uSamsoni wahambela umkakhe enezinyane lembuzi; wathi: “Ngiyakungena kumkami ekamelweni.” Kepha uyise kavumanga ukuba angene.

² Uyise wathi: “Bengithi impela umalile nokumala; ngalokho ngamnika umngane wakho; udadewabo omelamayo kamuhle kunaye na? Ake umthathe esikhundleni sakhe.”

³ USamsoni wathi kubo: “Okwalesi sikhathi anginacala kumaFilisti, uma ngiwenzela okubi.”

⁴ USamsoni wahamba, wabamba izimpungushe ezingamakhulu amathathu, wathatha izikhuni, wazibhekisana ngemisila, wafaka isikhuni phakathi kwemisila ngamibili.

⁵ Wazithungela izikhuni ngomlilo, wazivumela ukuba zingene phakathi kwamabele amaFilisti engakavunwa, washisa amaqhinqa nezinhlanga zamabele kanye nezivini neminqumo.

⁶ AmaFilisti ayesethi: “Ngubani okwenzile lokho na?” Bathi: “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana wowaseThimna, ngokuba yena uthathe umkakhe, wamnika umngane wakhe.” AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amshisa yena noyise ngomlilo.

⁷ USamsoni wathi kubo: “Uma nenze njalo, impela ngiyakuphindisela kini, andukuba ngiyeke.”

⁸ Wababulala ithebe nethanga ngokubulala okukhulu; wehla, wahlala ofantwini lwedwala lase-Etamu.

USamsoni ubulala ngomhlathi wembongolo

⁹ AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amisa kwaJuda, ahlakazeka eLehi.

¹⁰ Abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Nisikhuphukeleleni na?” Bathi: “Sikhuphukele ukuba simbophe uSamsoni, senze kuye njengalokho enze kithina.”

¹¹ Abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu bakwaJuda behlela ofantwini lwedwala lase-Etamu, bathi kuSamsoni: “Awukwazi yini ukuthi amaFilisti abusa phezu kwethu na? Kuyini, pho, lokho okwenzile kithina na?” Wathi kubo: “Njengalokho benza kimi, ngenze njalo kubo.”

¹² Base bethi kuye: “Sehlele ukuba sikubophe, ukuze sikunikele esandleni samaFilisti.” USamsoni wathi kubo: “Fungani kimi ukuthi nina aniyikungisukela.”

¹³ Basho kuye, bathi: “Qha, kepha siyakukubopha nokukubopha, sikunikele esandleni sawo, kodwa impela asiyikukubulala.” Bambopha ngezintambo ezimbili ezintsha, bamkhuphulela edwaleni.

¹⁴ Lapho efika eLehi, amaFilisti amhlangabeza ekhamuluka; uMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, izintambo ezazisezingalweni zakhe zaba njengefilakisi* elishiswe ngomlilo, nezibopho zakhe zancibilika, zasuka ezandleni zakhe.

¹⁵ Wafumana umhlathi wembongolo osemusha, welula isandla sakhe, wawuthatha, wabulala ngawo abantu abayinkulungwane.

¹⁶ Wathi uSamsoni: “Ngomhlathi wembongolo ngibulele inqwaba, yebo, izinqwaba ezimbili, ngomhlathi wembongolo abantu abayinkulungwane.”

¹⁷ Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma, wawulahla umhlathi esandleni sakhe; leyo ndawo yathiwa iRamati Lehi.

¹⁸ Wayesomile kakhulu, wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Wenzile lokhu kukhululeka okukhulu ngesandla senceku yakho; kepha manje sengiyakufa ukoma, ngiwele esandleni sabangasokile.”

¹⁹ Kodwa uNkulunkulu wadabula isigoxi esiseLehi, kwaphuma amanzi kuso; lapho esephuzile, umoya wakhe wabuya, wahlumeleleka; ngalokho igama laso labizwa ngokuthi i-Eni Hakore eliseLehi kuze kube namuhla.

²⁰ Wahlulela u-Israyeli ngezinsuku zamaFilisti iminyaka engamashumi amabili.