1 Ngamhla uthile uSamson waya eGaza, waza wabona ihenyukazi, waya kulalisa kulo.
2 Abantu baseGaza baxelelwa kwathiwa: “USamson ulapha.” Baza bawurhawula loo mzi ubusuku bonke, bamlalela nasemasangweni esixeko. Bahlala ubusuku bonke, besithi: “Kwakusa ngomso sombulala.”
3 Kambe ke yena uSamson wavuka phakathi kobusuku, waya esangweni lesixeko, wafika wayibamba imigubasi kunye neengcango nomvalo, wasiphula konke. Wayixwaya emagxeni, waya nayo kwinduli ekhangelene neHebron.
4 Kwakhona ke uSamson wathandana nentokazi yentili yaseSoreki egama linguDelila.
5 Ke izikhulu zamaFilistiya zaya kuyo, zathi: “Msondeze uSamson de akuxelele imfihlelo yala mandla akhe angaka, ucebise ukuba singenza kanjani na ukuze simbambe, simbophe, simoyise. Umntu ngamnye kuthi uya kukunika iisiliva ezilishumi elinanye lamakhulu.”
6 Ngoko ke uDelila wacengana noSamson, wathi: “Ndihlebele; uwathatha phi la mandla angaka? Ungabotshwa ngantoni ukuze woyisakale?”
7 USamson wamphendula wathi: “Ukuba ndingabotshwa ngesixhenxe seentsontelo ezingekomi, amandla am angatha, ndifane nabanye abantu.”
8 Izikhulu zamaFilistiya ke zanika uDelila iintsontelo ezisixhenxe ezingekomi, waza ke wambopha ngazo uSamson.
9 Ke kaloku uDelila wayefihle amadoda endlwini apho, waza ke wakhwaza wathi: “Nanga amaFilistiya, Samson!” Ke yena uSamson ezo ntsontelo wazithi gqashu-gqashu okomtya ulenywa ngumlilo. Ngoko ke imfihlelo yamandla akhe yasala ingaziwa mntu.
10 UDelila wathetha noSamson, wathi: “Wena uphoxe ngam, wandixokisa. Khawundixelele ukuba ungabotshwa ngantoni na.”
11 USamson waphendula wathi: “Ukuba banokundibopha ngeentsontelo ezintsha ezingekasebenzi, amandla am angetha, ndifane nabanye abantu.”
12 Ke uDelila wathatha iintsontelo ezintsha, wambopha ngazo uSamson, waza wakhwaza wathi: “Nanga amaFilistiya, Samson!” AmaFilistiya ke ayelalele endlwini apho. Kodwa yena uSamson waziqhawula ezo ntsontelo ezazisezingalweni zakhe zanga yimisonto.
13 UDelila wathi kuSamson: “Nangoku uyawaphoxa ngam, wandixokisa. Khawundixelele ukuba ungabotshwa ngantoni na.”Waphendula ke uSamson wathi: “Ukuba unokwenza amafrerha asixhenxe entloko kum, uze uwaluke kunye nemisonto, uwaqinise ngoluthi lokuluka, ndingetha amandla, ndifane nabanye abantu.”
14 Ke uDelila wathi akulala uSamson wawaluka ngemisonto amafrerha asixhenxe kaSamson ewaqinisa ngoluthi, wakhwaza wathi: “Nanga amaFilistiya, Samson!” Wasuka wavuka uSamson, waluncothula uluthi, wayixhwitha imisonto.
15 UDelila ke wathi kuSamson: “Ungathini ukuthi uyandithanda kodwa akundithembi! Kokwesithathu ngoku uphoxisa ngam, ibe ke nangoku akukandixeleli ukuba uwathatha phi la mandla angaka.”
16 Waza ke wammela imihla ngemihla emcenga.Wada uSamson wakruquka wanga angafa,
17 wamchazela konke, wathi: “Iinwele zam zange zichetywe. Ndanikelwa *ndalilolo likaThixo kwasekuzalweni kwam. Xa zinokuchetywa iinwele zam, angaphela amandla am, ndibe buthathaka nam, ndifane nabanye abantu.”
18 UDelila akuqonda ukuba uxelelwe yonke inyaniso nguSamson, wathumela kwizikhulu zamaFilistiya, wathi: “Yizani kwakhona; undixelele konke.” Ke zeza zimphathele imali leyo.
19 UDelila walalisa uSamson emathangeni akhe, waza ke wabiza umntu, wacheba amafrerha osixhenxe akhe. Ngokwenjenje ke uDelila wamenza waphelelwa ngamandla uSamson.
20 Wathi: “Nanga amaFilistiya, Samson!”Ke yena wavuka ebuthongweni esithi: “Ndiya kubuya ndiwavuthulule ndiphuncuke.” Kambe ke wayengaqondi ukuba ushiyiwe *nguNdikhoyo.
21 AmaFilistiya ke ambamba, amkhupha amehlo, amtyhaphaza. Amthatha amsa eGaza, amqamangela ngamatyathanga obhedu, amfaka emsebenzini wokusila entolongweni.
22 Kambe iinwele zakhe zaphinda zakhula.
23 Izikhulu zamaFilistiya zahlanganisana zabhiyoza, zisenzela uthixo wazo uDagoni isiyikayika sedini. Zadanduluka zathi: “Uthixo wethu ulunikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu uSamson!”
24-25 Kwathi xa kumnandi apho kwelo theko, zathi: “Yizani noSamson, eze kusonwabisa!” Bathi ke bakumkhupha uSamson entolongweni, bahlekisa ngaye, bammisa phakathi kweentsika. Abantu ke bakumbona uSamson badumisa uthixo wabo, bathi: “Uthixo wethu ulunikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu oluzise intshabalalo kwilizwe lethu, lwabulala abantu bethu abaninzi kangaka!”
26 USamson wathetha nomfana owayemrhola, wathi: “Khawume khe ndizive iintsika zesi sakhiwo. Ndifuna ukwayama ngazo.”
27 Indlu leyo ke yayizele ngamadoda nabafazi. Zonke izikhulu zamaFilistiya zazilapho; bebonke abantu babekwisithuba samawaka amathathu, beseluphahleni, bembukele behlekisa ngoSamson.
28 Ke kaloku uSamson wazibika kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Nkosi yam, ndikhumbule; nceda, Thixo wam, khawubuyise amandla am okwesi sihlandlo nje sodwa, ukuze ndiziphindezele kumaFilistiya ngenxa yesenzo sawo sokundikhupha amehlo.”
29 Ke uSamson wafikelela kwiintsika ezisesizikithini sesakhiwo eso. Wabamba yanye ngesokunene, enye wayibamba ngesokhohlo;
30 waza wadanduluka wathi: “Mandife kunye namaFilistiya!” Wazisunduza ngamandla akhe onke – folokohlo didli! Sadilika isakhiwo; zafela apho ezo zikhulu ndawonye nabo bonke ababekhona. Ekufeni kwakhe uSamson wabulala abantu abaninzi ngaphezu kwabo wababulala esadl' ubomi.
31 Ke kaloku abantakwabo nawo onke amawabo baya kuwuthatha umzimba wakhe, bagoduka nawo. Bamfihla kwingcwaba likayise uManowa phakathi kweZora ne-Eshtawoli. Waba yinkokheli yamaSirayeli iminyaka engamashumi amabini.