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.
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 wembongoloabantu 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.