1 USamsoni wehlela eThimna; wabona owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti.
2 Wakhuphuka, wabatshela uyise nonina, wathi: “Ngibonile owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti; ngalokho ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.”
3 Uyise nonina base bethi kuye: “Akakho yini owesifazane phakathi kwamadodakazi abafowenu noma phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bami, ukuze uye kuthatha umfazi kumaFilisti angasokile, na?”USamsoni wathi kuyise: “Ngithathele yena, ngokuba uyathandeka kimi.”
4 Kepha uyise nonina babengazi ukuthi lokho kwavela kuJehova, ngokuba wayefuna ithuba lokulwa namaFilisti. Ngaleso sikhathi amaFilisti ayebusa phezu kuka-Israyeli.
5 USamsoni wayesehla noyise nonina, baya eThimna, bafika ezivinini zaseThimna; bheka, ibhongo lengonyama lamhlangabeza libhodla.
6 UMoya kaJehova wafika phezu kwakhe ngamandla, walidwengula kungathi udwengula izinyane lembuzi, engaphethe lutho esandleni sakhe: kepha akabatshelanga uyise nonina abekwenzile.
7 Wehla, wakhuluma nowesifazane; wathandeka kuSamsoni.
8 Emva kwesikhathi wabuya ukuba amthathe, waphambuka ukuyobona isidumbu sengonyama; bheka, kwakukhona iqulo lezinyosi esidumbini sengonyama kanye noju.
9 Wazitapa ngezandla zakhe, wahamba, wahamba edla, wafika kuyise nonina, wabapha, badla nabo; kepha akabatshelanga ukuthi wayetape izinyosi esidumbini sengonyama.
10 Uyise wehla, waya kulowo wesifazane, uSamsoni wenza idili khona, ngokuba zazenze njalo izinsizwa.
11 Kwathi lapho bembona, baletha abayeni abangamashumi amathathu ukuba babe naye.
12 USamsoni wathi kubo: “Ake ngininike imfumbe; uma ningitshela yona kahle ngezinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili, niyiqandele, ngiyakuninika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu;
13 kepha uma ningenakuyiqandela kimi, niyakunginika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu.”Bathi kuye: “Yisho imfumbe yakho ukuba siyizwe.”
14 Wayesethi kubo:“Kodlayo kwaphuma ukudla,konamandla kwavela okumnandi.”Babengenakuyiqandela imfumbe ngezinsuku ezintathu.
15 Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bathi kumkaSamsoni: “Yenza umyeni wakho ukuba asichasisele imfumbe, funa sikushise wena nendlu kayihlo ngomlilo; nisimemele ukuba nisidle na? Akunjalo na?”
16 UmkaSamsoni wakhala phambi kwakhe, wathi: “Uyangizonda kuphela, awungithandi; unikile abakithi imfumbe, awungitshelanga yona.”Wathi kuye: “Bheka, angibatshelanga ubaba nomame, ngiyakukutshela wena na?”
17 Wakhala phambi kwakhe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, lisekhona idili labo; kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa wayesemtshela, ngokuba wamcindezela kakhulu; wayisho imfumbe kwabakubo.
18 Abantu bomuzi bathi kuye ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lingakashoni ilanga:“Kuyini okumnandi kunezinyosi?Kuyini okunamandla kunengonyama na?”Wathi kubo:“Uma beningalimanga ngesithokazi sami,ngabe ningayiqandelanga imfumbe yami.”
19 UMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, wehlela e-Ashikeloni, wabulala abantu abangamashumi amathathu kubo, wathatha isambatho sabo, wabanika abayiqandele imfumbe izingubo zokuphendulela. Intukuthelo yakhe yavutha, wenyukela endlini kayise.
20 Kepha umkaSamsoni wanikwa kumngane wakhe owabe ngomunye wabayeni bakhe.