1-2 USamson waya eGaza, wabona khona inkazana elihenyukazi, wayilala. Kwathiwa kwabaseGaza, USamson ungene apha. Bamrhawula, bamlalela ubusuku bonke esangweni lomzi; bathi cwaka ubusuku bonke, besithi, Kwakusa ngomso sombulala.
3 Walala uSamson kwada kwaba phakathi kobusuku. Wavuka phakathi kobusuku, wabambelela ezingcangweni zesango lomzi, nasemigubasini yomibini, wayincothula inomvalo; wayibeka emagxeni akhe, wayithwalela encotsheni yentaba phambi kweHebron.
4 Kwathi emveni koko, wathanda inkazana esihlanjeni saseSoreki, igama layo linguDelila.
5 Zenyuka zaya kuyo izikhulu zamaFilisti, zathi kuyo, Mrhwebeshe, ubone ukuba asenini na la mandla akhe angaka, nokuba singámeyisa ngantoni na, simkhonkxe ukuze simthobe; sokunika thina elowo iwaka elinekhulu lesilivere.
6 Wathi uDelila kuSamson, Khawundixelele ukuba asenini na la mandla akho angaka, nokuba ungakhónkxwa ngantoni na, ukuze uqotywe?
7 Wathi uSamson kuye, Ukuba bathe bandibopha ngeentambo ezisixhenxe ezintsha ezingomanga, ndothi fehle, ndibe njengomnye umntu.
8 Izikhulu zamaFilisti zenyuka, zamzisela iintambo ezisixhenxe ezintsha ezingomanga; wamkhonkxa ngazo.
9 Ke abalaleli babehleli naye egumbini. Wathi umkakhe kuye, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson. Wazijaca iintambo, kwanga kukujaceka kwentsontelo yeflakisi* yakuva umlilo; àkaziwa ke amandla akhe.
10 Wathi uDelila kuSamson, Yabona, udlale ngam, wandixokisa; khawundixelele kaloku ukuba ungakhónkxwa ngantoni na.
11 Wathi kuye, Ukuba bathe ukundikhonkxa bandikhonkxa ngeentsontelo ezintsha, ekungasetyenzwanga msebenzi ngazo, ndothi fehle, ndibe njengomnye umntu.
12 UDelila wathabatha iintsontelo ezintsha, wamkhonkxa ngazo, wathi kuye, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson. Ke abalaleli babehleli egumbini. Wazijaca emikhonweni yakhe njengomsonto.
13 Wathi uDelila kuSamson, Udlale ngam unangoku, undixokisa; ndíxelele, ungakhónkxwa ngantoni na? Wathi kuye, Ukuba uthe waluka izihlwitha ezisixhenxe zentloko yam ngemisonto yokuluka.
14 Waziqinisa ngesikhonkwane, wathi kuye, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson. Wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe, wasincothula isikhonkwane sokuluka kwanemisonto yaso.
15 Wathi kuye, Ungáthini na ukuthi ùyandithanda, ukanti intliziyo yakho ayinam? Undikhohlisile ezi zihlandlo zozithathu, akwandixelela ukuba asenini na la mandla akho angaka.
16 Kwathi, akumxina ngamazwi akhe zonke iimini, emmele, wakhathazeka umphefumlo wakhe, wasingisa ekufeni.
17 Wamxelela intliziyo yakhe yonke, wathi kuye, Isitshetshe sokucheba asizanga sisondele entlokweni yam; ngokuba ndingumahlulwa kaThixo kwasesizalweni sikama. Ukuba ndithe ndachetywa, osuka kum amandla am, ndithi fehle, ndibe njengabantu bonke.
18 Wabona uDelila ukuba umxelele yonke intliziyo yakhe, wathumela wabiza izikhulu zamaFilisti, esithi, Nyukani esi sihlandlo, ngokuba úndixelele yonke intliziyo yakhe. Zenyuka ke zaya kuye izikhulu zamaFilisti, zenyuka zinemali esandleni sazo.
19 Wamlalisa emathangéni akhe, wabiza umntu, wazicheba izihlwitha zosixhenxe zentloko yakhe, waqala ke ukumqoba; emka ke amandla akhe kuye.
20 Wathi, AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samson. Wavuka ebuthongweni, wathi, Ndiya kuphuma esi sihlandlo njengezinye izihlandlo, ndizivuthulule. Wayengazi yena, ukuba uYehova umkile kuye.
21 Ambamba amaFilisti, amkrukra amehlo; ehla naye aya eGaza, amkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu amabini, waba ngumsili endlwini yamakhonkxwa.
22 Zaqala iinwele zentloko yakhe zahluma, emva kokuba wayechetyiwe.
23 Izikhulu zamaFilisti zahlanganiselwa ukuba zibingelele umbingelelo omkhulu kuDagon uthixo wazo, zivuye; zathi, Uthixo wethu umnikele esandleni sethu uSamson, utshaba lwethu.
24 Bambona abantu, badumisa uthixo wabo; ngokuba bebesithi, Uthixo wethu ulunikele esandleni sethu utshaba lwethu, umtshabalalisi welizwe lethu, obenzé babaninzi ababuleweyo kuthi.
25 Kwathi, xa intliziyo yabo ichwayithileyo, bathi, Bizani uSamson, asihlekise. Bambiza ke uSamson endlwini yamakhonkxwa; waphuma wahlekisa phambi kwabo. Bammisa phakathi kweentsika.
26 Wathi uSamson kumfana ombambe ngesandla, Ndiyeke, ndizive iintsika emi ngazo indlu, ndayame ngazo.
27 Ke indlu ibizele ngamadoda nabafazi; zibe zikhona zonke izikhulu zamaFilisti; phezu kophahla kwakuhleli amawaka omathathu amadoda nabafazi, bebonela ukuhlekisa kukaSamson.
28 USamson wanqula uYehova wathi, Nkosi yam, Yehova, khawundikhumbule, khawundomeleze okwesi sihlandlo sodwa, Thixo; ndiphindezèle kumaFilisti impindezelo nokuba inye ngenxa yamehlo am omabini.
29 Waziwola uSamson zombini iintsika eziphakathi, emi ngazo indlu leyo, wacinezela kuzo, enye ngesandla sokunene, enye ngesokhohlo.
30 Wathi uSamson, Mandife namaFilisti. Wathoba ngamandla; yawa indlu phezu kwezikhulu, naphezu kwabantu bonke ababekuyo. Bathi abafi, awababulala ekufeni kwakhe, baba baninzi kunabafi awababulala esaphilile.
31 Behla abazalwana bakhe nendlu kayise yonke, bamthabatha, bamnyusa, bamngcwabela phakathi kweTsora ne-Eshtawoli, engcwabeni likaManowa uyise. Wawalawula yena amaSirayeli iminyaka emashumi mabini.