AbAhluleli 16:1-17

USamsoni waya eGaza; wabona lapho isifebe, wangena kuso. Kwathiwa kumaGaza: “USamsoni ufikile lapha.” Bamhaqa, bamqamekela ubusuku bonke esangweni lomuzi; bathula ubusuku bonke, bathi: “Makube sekukhanyeni kokusa; khona siyakumbulala.” USamsoni walala kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili; wavuka phakathi kobusuku, wabamba izivalo zesango lomuzi nezinsika zombili, wazincothula kanye nomgoqo, wazibeka emahlombe akhe, wazikhuphulela esiqongweni sentaba ephambi kweHebroni. Kwathi ngasemuva wathanda owesifazane esiGodini saseSoreki ogama lakhe lalinguDelila. Amakhosi amaFilisti enyukela kuye, athi kuye: “Myenge, ubone ukuthi amandla akhe amakhulu aphi nokuthi singamahlula ngani ukuba simbophe, simnqobe; siyakukunika, kube yilowo nalowo, izinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva.” UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi amandla akho amakhulu aphi nokuthi ungaboshwa ngani, unqotshwe.” USamsoni wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngezinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.” Amakhosi amaFilisti ayeseletha kuye izinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, wambopha ngazo. Wayenabaqamekeli behlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wayesethi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wayesegqabula izinsinga njengentambo yefilakisi* igqatshulwa, lapho izwa umlilo. Ngalokho amandla akhe awaziwanga. Wayesethi uDelila kuSamsoni: “Bheka, udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ake ungitshele manje ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.” Wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngamagoda amasha okungasetshenziwanga ngawo, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.” UDelila wayesethatha amagoda amasha, wambopha ngawo, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Abaqamekeli babehlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wawagqabula ezingalweni zakhe njengomucwana. UDelila wayesethi kuSamsoni: “Kuze kube manje udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ngitshele ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.” Wathi kuye: “Uma weluka amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lami nezintambo zakho zokwelukwa.” Wawabethela-ke ngesikhonkwane, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wavuka ebuthongweni, wasincothula isikhonkwane sokweluka nezintambo zokwelukwa. Wayesethi kuye: “Ungasho kanjani ukuthi uyangithanda, nxa inhliziyo yakho ingenami na? Usudlale ngami kathathu, awungitshelanga ukuthi amandla akho aphi.” Kwathi lapho emcindezela yonke imihla ngamazwi akhe, emgqugquza, wakhathazeka umphefumulo wakhe kwaze kwaba sekufeni. Wamtshela inhliziyo yakhe yonke, wathi kuye: “Akuthintanga mpuco ekhanda lami, ngokuba bengingumNaziri* kaNkulunkulu kwasesizalweni sikamame; uma ngiphuculwa, amandla ami ayakumuka kimi, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”