Bible Reading Plan – Day 71

₁Kodwa kwathi emva kwesikhathi, ngesikhathi sokuvuna ukolweni, uSamsoni wahambela umkakhe enezinyane lembuzi; wathi: “Ngiyakungena kumkami ekamelweni.” Kepha uyise kavumanga ukuba angene.

₂Uyise wathi: “Bengithi impela umalile nokumala; ngalokho ngamnika umngane wakho; udadewabo omelamayo kamuhle kunaye na? Ake umthathe esikhundleni sakhe.”

₃USamsoni wathi kubo: “Okwalesi sikhathi anginacala kumaFilisti, uma ngiwenzela okubi.” ₄USamsoni wahamba, wabamba izimpungushe ezingamakhulu amathathu, wathatha izikhuni, wazibhekisana ngemisila, wafaka isikhuni phakathi kwemisila ngamibili. ₅Wazithungela izikhuni ngomlilo, wazivumela ukuba zingene phakathi kwamabele amaFilisti engakavunwa, washisa amaqhinqa nezinhlanga zamabele kanye nezivini neminqumo.

₆AmaFilisti ayesethi: “Ngubani okwenzile lokho na?”

Bathi: “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana wowaseThimna, ngokuba yena uthathe umkakhe, wamnika umngane wakhe.” AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amshisa yena noyise ngomlilo. ₇USamsoni wathi kubo: “Uma nenze njalo, impela ngiyakuphindisela kini, andukuba ngiyeke.” ₈Wababulala ithebe nethanga ngokubulala okukhulu; wehla, wahlala ofantwini lwedwala lase-Etamu.

₉AmaFilisti akhuphuka, amisa kwaJuda, ahlakazeka eLehi. ₁₀Abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Nisikhuphukeleleni na?”

Bathi: “Sikhuphukele ukuba simbophe uSamsoni, senze kuye njengalokho enze kithina.”

₁₁Abantu 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.”

₁₂Base bethi kuye: “Sehlele ukuba sikubophe, ukuze sikunikele esandleni samaFilisti.”

USamsoni wathi kubo: “Fungani kimi ukuthi nina aniyikungisukela.”

₁₃Basho kuye, bathi: “Qha, kepha siyakukubopha nokukubopha, sikunikele esandleni sawo, kodwa impela asiyikukubulala.” Bambopha ngezintambo ezimbili ezintsha, bamkhuphulela edwaleni. ₁₄Lapho efika eLehi, amaFilisti amhlangabeza ekhamuluka; uMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, izintambo ezazisezingalweni zakhe zaba njengefilakisi* elishiswe ngomlilo, nezibopho zakhe zancibilika, zasuka ezandleni zakhe. ₁₅Wafumana umhlathi wembongolo osemusha, welula isandla sakhe, wawuthatha, wabulala ngawo abantu abayinkulungwane.

₁₆Wathi uSamsoni:

₁₈Wayesomile kakhulu, wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Wenzile lokhu kukhululeka okukhulu ngesandla senceku yakho; kepha manje sengiyakufa ukoma, ngiwele esandleni sabangasokile.” ₁₉Kodwa 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.

₂₀Wahlulela u-Israyeli ngezinsuku zamaFilisti iminyaka engamashumi amabili.

₁USamsoni waya eGaza; wabona lapho isifebe, wangena kuso. ₂Kwathiwa kumaGaza: “USamsoni ufikile lapha.” Bamhaqa, bamqamekela ubusuku bonke esangweni lomuzi; bathula ubusuku bonke, bathi: “Makube sekukhanyeni kokusa; khona siyakumbulala.”

₃USamsoni 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.

₄Kwathi ngasemuva wathanda owesifazane esiGodini saseSoreki ogama lakhe lalinguDelila. ₅Amakhosi 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.”

₆UDelila wathi kuSamsoni: “Ake ungitshele ukuthi amandla akho amakhulu aphi nokuthi ungaboshwa ngani, unqotshwe.”

₇USamsoni wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngezinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”

₈Amakhosi amaFilisti ayeseletha kuye izinsinga eziyisikhombisa ezimanzi ezingakomi, wambopha ngazo. ₉Wayenabaqamekeli behlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wayesethi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wayesegqabula izinsinga njengentambo yefilakisi* igqatshulwa, lapho izwa umlilo. Ngalokho amandla akhe awaziwanga.

₁₀Wayesethi uDelila kuSamsoni: “Bheka, udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ake ungitshele manje ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.”

₁₁Wathi kuye: “Uma bengibopha ngamagoda amasha okungasetshenziwanga ngawo, ngiyakuba buthakathaka, ngibe njengomunye umuntu.”

₁₂UDelila wayesethatha amagoda amasha, wambopha ngawo, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Abaqamekeli babehlezi ekamelweni eliphakathi. Wawagqabula ezingalweni zakhe njengomucwana.

₁₃UDelila wayesethi kuSamsoni: “Kuze kube manje udlale ngami, wangitshela amanga; ngitshele ukuthi ungaboshwa ngani.”

Wathi kuye: “Uma weluka amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lami nezintambo zakho zokwelukwa.”

₁₄Wawabethela-ke ngesikhonkwane, wathi kuye: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.” Wavuka ebuthongweni, wasincothula isikhonkwane sokweluka nezintambo zokwelukwa.

₁₅Wayesethi kuye: “Ungasho kanjani ukuthi uyangithanda, nxa inhliziyo yakho ingenami na? Usudlale ngami kathathu, awungitshelanga ukuthi amandla akho aphi.” ₁₆Kwathi lapho emcindezela yonke imihla ngamazwi akhe, emgqugquza, wakhathazeka umphefumulo wakhe kwaze kwaba sekufeni.

₁₇Wamtshela 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.”

₁₈UDelila wabona ukuthi wayemtshelile yonke inhliziyo yakhe; wathuma wawabiza amakhosi amaFilisti, wathi: “Yenyukani kalokhu, ngokuba ungitshelile yonke inhliziyo yakhe.” Ayesenyukela kuye amakhosi amaFilisti, aletha imali esandleni sawo. ₁₉Wamlalisa ubuthongo emathangeni akhe, wabiza umuntu, waphucula amagoda ayisikhombisa ekhanda lakhe; waqala ukumhlupha, amandla akhe amuka kuye.

₂₀Wathi: “AmaFilisti aphezu kwakho, Samsoni.”

Wavuka ebuthongweni, wathi: “Ngiyakuphuma njengangezinye izikhathi, ngizithintithe.” Kepha wayengazi ukuthi uJehova wayemukile kuye.

₂₁AmaFilisti ambamba, awakhipha amehlo akhe; amehlisela eGaza, ambopha ngamaketanga; wasila etilongweni. ₂₂Nokho izinwele zekhanda lakhe zaqala ukuhluma futhi esephuculiwe.

₂₃Amakhosi amaFilisti abuthana ukuba ahlabele uDagoni unkulunkulu wawo umhlatshelo omkhulu, athokoze, ngokuba athi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele uSamsoni isitha sethu esandleni sethu.”

₂₄Abantu bambona, bamtusa unkulunkulu wabo, ngokuba bathi: “Unkulunkulu wethu unikele esandleni sethu isitha sethu nomchithi wezwe lakithi obulele abaningi phakathi kwethu.”

₂₅Kwathi lapho izinhliziyo zabo sezesasile, bathi: “Mbizeni uSamsoni ukuba asidlalele.” Bambiza uSamsoni esetilongweni, wadlala phambi kwabo, bambeka phakathi kwezinsika. ₂₆USamsoni wathi kumfana owayembambe ngesandla: “Ngivumele ukuphatha izinsika indlu emi ngazo ukuba ngencike kuzo.” ₂₇Indlu yayigcwele abesilisa nabesifazane; namakhosi onke amaFilisti ayelapho; ophahleni kwakukhona abantu kungathi abayizinkulungwane ezintathu, abesilisa nabesifazane, ababebukela ukudlala kukaSamsoni. ₂₈USamsoni wakhala kuJehova, wathi: “Nkosi Nkulunkulu, ake ungikhumbule, ungiqinise kube kanye kuphela, Nkulunkulu, ukuba ngiphindise kumaFilisti ngempindiselo ibenye ngenxa yamehlo ami omabili.” ₂₉USamsoni wayesebamba izinsika ezimbili eziphakathi eyayimi ngazo indlu, wencika kuzo, kwenye ngesandla sokunene, kwenye ngesokhohlo. ₃₀USamsoni wathi: “Mangife namaFilisti.” Wakhothama ngamandla akhe onke, indlu yawela phezu kwamakhosi naphezu kwabo bonke abantu ababe kuyo. Abafileyo ababulalayo ekufeni kwakhe babebaningi kunabo ababulalayo ekuhambeni kwakhe.

₃₁Base behla abafowabo nayo yonke indlu kayise, bamthatha, bamenyusa, bammbela phakathi kweSora ne-Eshitawoli ethuneni likaManowa uyise. Wamahlulela u-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amabili.

₁Kwakukhona umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ogama lakhe lalinguMika. ₂Yena wathi kunina: “Lezo zinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva ezathathwa kuwe, owaziqalekisa, wakhuluma ngazo ezindlebeni zami, bheka, leyo mali ikimi; ngayithatha.”

Unina wathi: “Mayibusiswe nguJehova indodana yami.”

₃Wabuyisela kunina lezo zinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva; unina wathi: “Ngiyangcwelisa impela leli siliva kuJehova esandleni sami, libe ngelendodana yami ukuba kwenziwe isithombe esibaziweyo nesibunjiweyo; manje ngiyakulibuyisela kuwe.”

₄Kepha walibuyisela isiliva kunina, unina wathatha izinhlamvu ezingamakhulu amabili zesiliva, wazinika umkhandi wesiliva owenza ngazo isithombe esibaziweyo nesibunjiweyo; zase zihlala endlini kaMika.

₅Lowo muntu uMika wayenendlu enawonkulunkulu, wenza ingubo yamahlombe namatherafi,* wahlukanisela enye indodana yakhe ibe ngumpristi wakhe. ₆Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli; yilowo nalowo wenza okulungile emehlweni akhe.

₇Kwakukhona insizwa yaseBetlehema Juda yomndeni wakwaJuda eyayingumLevi; yayigogobele khona. ₈Lowo muntu wamuka emzini, iBetlehema Juda, ukuyobona lapho engathola khona indawo; ekuhambeni kwakhe wafika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi endlini kaMika.

₉UMika wathi kuye: “Uvelaphi na?”

Wathi kuye: “NgingumLevi waseBetlehema Juda; ngiyahamba ukubona lapho ngingathola khona indawo.”

₁₀UMika wayesethi kuye: “Hlala kimi, ube ngubaba nompristi wami, ngiyakukunika izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva ngomnyaka, nesambatho, nokudla kwakho.” UmLevi wangena. ₁₁UmLevi wavuma ukuhlala kulowo muntu; nensizwa yaba kuye njengendodana yakhe. ₁₂UMika wayesahlukanisela umLevi, leyo nsizwa yaba ngumpristi wakhe, yahlala endlini kaMika. ₁₃Wayesethi uMika: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi uJehova uyakungenzela okuhle, lokhu nginomLevi ongumpristi wami.”