Judges 16

1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.

1 Siku moja Samsoni alienda Gaza, akamwona mwanamke kahaba, naye akaingia kwake.

2 When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”

2 Watu wa Gaza wakaambiwa, “Samsoni amekuja huku!” Hivyo wakapazingira mahali pale nao wakamvizia usiku kucha, penye lango la mji. Wakanyamaza kimya usiku kucha, wakisema, “Tumvizie hadi mapambazuko, ndipo tutamuua.”

3 But Samson lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.

3 Samsoni akalala mpaka usiku wa manane. Akaondoka katikati ya usiku, akashika milango ya lango la mji pamoja na miimo yake miwili, akaingʼoa, makomeo yake na vyote. Akaviweka mabegani mwake na kuvipeleka mpaka kwenye kilele cha mlima ule unaokabili Hebroni.

4 Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

4 Baada ya hayo akampenda mwanamke mmoja katika Bonde la Soreki aliyeitwa Delila.

5 The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”

5 Viongozi wa Wafilisti wakamwendea yule mwanamke na kumwambia, “Umbembeleze ili upate kujua siri za nguvu zake zilizo nyingi na jinsi tutakavyoweza kumshinda ili tuweze kumfunga na kumtiisha. Nasi kila mmoja wetu tutakupa shekeli 1,100 za fedha.”

6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

6 Hivyo Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Naomba niambie siri ya hizi nguvu zako nyingi na jinsi utakavyoweza kufungwa ili kukutiisha.”

7 Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”

7 Samsoni akamjibu, “Kama wakinifunga kwa kamba saba za upinde ambazo hazijakauka bado, hapo ndipo nitakapokuwa dhaifu kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”

8 So the lords of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.

8 Viongozi wa Wafilisti wakamletea yule mwanamke kamba saba za upinde ambazo hazijakauka bado, akamfunga nazo Samsoni.

9 While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.

9 Wakati watu wakiwa wanamvizia katika chumba cha ndani, yule mwanamke akamwambia, “Samsoni, Wafilisti wanakujia!” Lakini yeye akazikata zile kamba za upinde, kama vile uzi wa pamba unapoguswa na moto. Hivyo siri ya nguvu zake haikujulikana.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”

10 Ndipo Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Umenifanyia mzaha na kuniambia uongo. Tafadhali niambie waweza kufungwa kwa kitu gani?”

11 He replied, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man.”

11 Akamwambia, “Wakinifunga kwa uthabiti kwa kamba mpya ambazo hazijatumika, basi nitakuwa dhaifu kama mtu mwingine yeyote.”

12 So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.

12 Hivyo Delila akachukua kamba mpya na kumfunga nazo. Kisha akamwambia, “Samsoni, Wafilisti wanakujia!” Wale watu waliokuwa wanamvizia walikuwa katika chumba cha ndani. Lakini akazikata zile kamba zilizokuwa zimefunga mikono yake kama akatavyo uzi.

13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me all along! Tell me how you can be tied up.” He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the web of a loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man.”

13 Ndipo Delila akamwambia Samsoni, “Mpaka sasa, umenifanyia mzaha na kuniambia uongo. Nieleze ni jinsi gani utakavyoweza kufungwa.” Samsoni akamwambia, “Kama ukivisuka hivi vishungi saba vya nywele za kichwa changu katika mtande wa nguo na kukaza kwa msumari, ndipo nitakuwa dhaifu kama mtu mwingine yeyote.” Hivyo Samsoni alipokuwa amelala, Delila akachukua vile vishungi saba vya nywele za kichwa chake na kuvifunga kwenye mtande wa nguo,

14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.

14 na kuvikaza kwa msumari. Kisha akamwambia, “Samsoni, Wafilisti wanakujia!” Lakini akaamka kutoka usingizini na kuungʼoa ule msumari na ule mtande.

15 “How can you say, ‘I love you,’” she asked, “when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and failed to reveal to me the source of your great strength!”

15 Ndipo Delila akamwambia, “Wawezaje kusema, ‘Nakupenda,’ wakati moyo wako haupo pamoja nami? Umenifanyia mzaha mara hizi tatu na hujaniambia siri ya hizi nguvu zako nyingi.”

16 Finally, after she had pressed him daily with her words and pleaded until he was sick to death,

16 Hatimaye, baada ya kuwa anamsumbua kwa maneno siku kwa siku na kumuudhi, roho yake ikataabika hata kufa.

17 Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”

17 Hivyo akamwambia yule mwanamke siri yake yote, akamwambia, “Wembe haujapita kamwe kichwani mwangu, kwa kuwa mimi ni Mnadhiri wa Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yangu. Kama nywele za kichwa changu zikinyolewa, nguvu zangu zitanitoka, na nitakuwa dhaifu kama mtu mwingine yeyote!”

18 When Delilah realized that he had revealed to her all that was in his heart, she sent this message to the lords of the Philistines: “Come up once more, for he has revealed to me all that is in his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came to her, bringing the money in their hands.

18 Delila alipoona kuwa amemweleza siri yake yote, akatuma ujumbe kwa viongozi wa Wafilisti na kusema, “Njooni tena mara nyingine, maana amenieleza siri yake yote.” Basi viongozi wa Wafilisti wakaja kwa Delila, wakiwa na fedha mikononi mwao.

19 And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him.

19 Delila akamfanya alale usingizi magotini pake, akamwita mtu akamnyoa vile vishungi saba vya nywele za kichwa chake. Akaanza kumsumbua ili aamke nazo nguvu zake zikamtoka.

20 Then she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.

20 Yule mwanamke akamwita, “Samsoni, hao Wafilisti wanakujia!” Akaamka toka usingizini akasema, “Nitatoka nje kama hapo awali, nitawakungʼutia mbali na kuwa huru.” Lakini hakujua kuwa Bwana amemwacha.

21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.

21 Basi Wafilisti wakamkamata, wakamngʼoa macho yake, wakamchukua wakamteremsha mpaka Gaza. Wakiwa wamemfunga kwa pingu za shaba, wakamweka ili asage ngano huko gerezani.

22 However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.

22 Wakati huo nywele za kichwa chake zikaanza kukua tena baada ya kunyolewa.

23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”

23 Basi viongozi wa Wafilisti wakakusanyika pamoja ili kutoa kafara kwa mungu wao Dagoni na kufanya karamu, wakisema, “Mungu wetu amemtia adui yetu Samsoni mikononi mwetu.”

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.”

24 Watu walipomwona Samsoni wakamsifu mungu wao, wakisema: “Sasa mungu wetu amemtia adui yetu mikononi mwetu, yule aliyeharibu nchi yetu na kuwaua watu wengi miongoni mwetu.”

25 And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.

25 Mioyo yao ilipokuwa imefurahishwa wakasema, “Mleteni Samsoni aje acheze ili tufurahi.” Basi wakamleta Samsoni kutoka mle gerezani naye akacheza mbele yao. Wakamweka kati ya nguzo mbili.

26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.”

26 Samsoni akamwambia mtumishi aliyeshika mkono wake, “Niweke mahali ambapo ninaweza kuzigusa nguzo ambazo zinategemeza jengo ili nipate kuziegemea.”

27 Now the temple was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.

27 Basi lile jengo lilikuwa na wingi wa watu waume kwa wake; viongozi wote wa Wafilisti walikuwamo humo, na kwenye sakafu ya juu walikuwepo watu 3,000 waume kwa wake, waliokuwa wakimtazama Samsoni wakati anacheza.

28 Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”

28 Ndipo Samsoni akamwomba Bwana, akasema, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, unikumbuke. Ee Mungu, nakusihi ukanitie nguvu mara hii moja tena, ili kwa tendo hili nipate kulipiza kisasi juu ya Wafilisti kwa ajili ya macho yangu mawili.”

29 And Samson reached out for the two central pillars supporting the temple. Bracing himself against them with his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other,

29 Ndipo Samsoni akazikaribia zile nguzo mbili za katikati ambazo lile jengo lilikuwa linazitegemea. Akazishika moja kwa mkono wa kuume na nyingine mkono wa kushoto.

30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people in it. So in his death he killed more than he had killed in his life.

30 Samsoni akasema, “Nife pamoja na Wafilisti!” Ndipo akazisukuma zile nguzo kwa nguvu zake zote, lile jengo likaanguka juu ya viongozi na watu wote waliokuwamo mle ndani yake. Hivyo akawaua watu wengi wakati wa kufa kwake kuliko siku za uhai wake.

31 Then Samson’s brothers and his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. And he had judged Israel twenty years.

31 Basi ndugu zake na jamaa yote ya baba yake wakateremka kwenda kumchukua. Wakampandisha na kumzika kati ya Sora na Eshtaoli kwenye kaburi la Manoa baba yake. Naye Samsoni alikuwa mwamuzi wa Israeli kwa miaka ishirini.