Samson Gets Married
1 One day, Samson went to Timnah, where he saw a Philistine woman. 2 When he got back home, he told his parents, “I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!”
3 His parents answered, “There are a lot of women in our clan and even more in the rest of Israel. Those Philistines are pagans. Why would you want to marry one of their women?”
“She looks good to me,” Samson answered. “Get her for me!”
4 At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the Lord wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.
5 As Samson and his parents reached the vineyards near Timnah, a fierce young lion suddenly roared and attacked Samson. 6 But the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson, and with his bare hands he tore the lion apart, as though it had been a young goat. His parents didn't know what he had done, and he didn't tell them.
7 When they got to Timnah, Samson talked to the woman, and he was sure that she was the one for him.
8 Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey. 9 He scooped up the honey in his hands and ate some of it as he walked along. When he got back to his parents, he gave them some of the honey, and they ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had found the honey in the skeleton of a lion.
10 While Samson's father went to make the final arrangements with the bride and her family, Samson threw a big party, as grooms usually did. 11 When the Philistines saw what Samson was like, they told 30 of their young men to stay with him at the party.
12 Samson told the 30 young men, “This party will last for seven days. Let's make a bet: I'll tell you a riddle, and if you can tell me the answer before the party is over, I'll give each of you a shirt and a full change of clothing. 13 But if you can't tell me the answer, then each of you will have to give me a shirt and a full change of clothing.”
“It's a bet!” the Philistines said. “Tell us the riddle.”
14 Samson said:
Once so strong and mighty—
now so sweet and tasty!
Three days went by, and the Philistine young men had not come up with the right answer. 15 Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, “You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death.”
16 Samson's bride went to him and started crying in his arms. “You must really hate me,” she sobbed. “If you loved me at all, you would have told me the answer to your riddle.”
“But I haven't even told my parents the answer!” Samson replied. “Why should I tell you?”
17 For the entire seven days of the party, she had been whining and trying to get the answer from him. But that seventh day she put so much pressure on Samson that he finally gave in and told her the answer. She went straight to the young men and told them.
18 Before sunset that day, the men of the town went to Samson with this answer:
A lion is the strongest—
honey is the sweetest!
Samson replied,
This answer you have given me
doubtless came
from my bride-to-be.
19 Then the Lord's Spirit took control of Samson. He went to Ashkelon, where he killed 30 men and took their clothing. Samson then gave it to the 30 young men at Timnah and stormed back home to his own family.
20 The father of the bride made Samson's wife marry one of the 30 young men that had been at Samson's party.
Simson nomukadhona gwokuTimna
1 Esiku limwe Simson okwa yi kuTimna, nkoka i itsu omukadhona Omufilisti. 2 Okwa shuna kaandjawo e ta ti kaakuluntu ye: “Onde endela omukadhona Omufilisti kuTimna. Ke mu talelii ndje; onda hala oku mu hokana.”
3 Ihe aakuluntu ye oye mu pula: “Omolwashike to yi kumboka aapagani Aafilisti, u kuthe ko omukiintu? Ito vulu okukutha omukiintu moludhi lwetu, mokati koshigwana shetu?”
Ihe Simson okwa ti kuhe: “Oye awike nda hala, mu ke mu talele ndje. Ondi mu hole.”
4 Aakuluntu ye inaa tseya kutya Omuwa okwa li te enditha Simson okuninga ngeyi, oshoka Omuwa okwa li ta kongo olweedhe lwo opala okukondjitha Aafilisti. Pethimbo ndika Aafilisti oya li taa pangele Israel.
5 Osho ngaaka Simson okwa yi kuTimna pamwe naakuluntu ye. Manga ya li taa yi koshitsambe shomiviinu, oku uvu onkoshi ongundjuka tayi pumbu. 6 Ohaluka oonkondo dhOmuwa dhe ya muSimson, nokwa toogonyona onkoshi niikaha ye, oto ti omuntu ta toogonyona onkombwena. Ihe ina lombwela nando aakuluntu ye shoka a ningi.
7 Okwa yi nduno e ta popi nomukadhona nokwa li e mu hokwa. 8 Omasiku gamwe sho ga piti po, Simson okwa shuna ko ishewe, e ke mu hokane. Mondjila okwa peguka mo, a tale onkoshi ndjoka a dhipagele, nokwa li a kumwa, sho a mono ehunga lyoonyushi nomagadhi gadho ge li molukolo lwonkoshi ndjoka ya sa. 9 Okwa kogonyona mo omagadhi goonyushi niikaha ye e te ga li, manga te ende. Nena okwa yi kaakuluntu ye e te ya pe ko wo. Oye ga li, ihe Simson ine ya lombwela kutya okwe ga kutha molukolo lwonkoshi ya sa.
10 He yaSimson okwa yi kaandjamukadhona, naSimson okwa ningi omatelekela hwiyaka. Shika osha li omukalo mokati kaagundjuka. 11 Aafilisti sho ye mu mono, oya tumu aagundjuka aamati omilongo ndatu, ya kale puye. 12-13 Simson okwa ti kuyo: “Nandi mu pule otumbutumbu. Otandi mbetse nakehe gumwe gwomune ohema yoliina ya thola nomutsuhu gwuufuuli nokutya itamu vulu okulombwela ndje momasiku ngaka gaheyali gohango kutya otayi ti ngiini.”
Oyo ya ti kuye: “Tu lombwela otumbutumbu yoye.”
14 Okwa ti:
“Iikulya oya zi momufukedhi;
uutoye owa zi momunankondo.”
Oya kala ya nyengwa uule womasiku gatatu okutseya otumbutumbu.
15 Mesiku etine oya ti kumukadhaSimson: “Enda omulumentu gwoye miineya, u tu lombwele kutya otumbutumbu otayi ti ngiini. Ngele hasho, otatu ka tomeka egumbo lyaho omulilo e tatu mu lungunithile mo. Omwe tu hiya nani, mu tu yuge! Hasho?”
16 MukadhaSimson okwe ya kuye ta lili e ta ti: “Ngoye ku hole ndje! Ou tonde ndje! Owa pula yakwetu otumbutumbu ngoye ino lombwela ndje kutya otayi ti ngiini.”
Simson okwa ti kuye: “Tala, inandi yi lombwela nande otate nameme. Omolwashike ndi na oku yi ku lombwela?” 17 Oye a lili omasiku ngoka agehe gaheyali gohango. Ihe mesiku etiheyali Simson okwe mu lombwele shoka otumbutumbu tayi ti, oshoka omufuko okwe mu tsitsimike unene. Nena omukiintu okwa lombwele Aafilisti. 18 Mesiku etiheyali manga Simson inaa ka lala, aantu yomoshilando oya ti kuye:
“Oshike oshitoye shi vule omagadhi goonyushi?
Oshike shi na oonkondo shi vule onkoshi?”
Simson okwa yamukula:
“Ando omwa li inaamu pululitha ontana yandje,
ando inamu tseya eyamukulo.”
19 Ohaluka oonkondo dhOmuwa odhe ya muye nokwa yi kuAshkelon e ta dhipaga aalumentu omilongo ndatu e ta kutha ko oonguwo dhawo dhuufuuli e te dhi pe aalumentu mboka ya fatulula otumbutumbu. Konima yaashika okwa yi kegumbo nokwa li a ngunya, a geele shoka sha ningwa po. 20 Omufuko gwe okwa kuthwa po koshinkumbi she.
