Samson Tutu Gasa Apon
1Da bi, Samson kɔɔ Filistifo kuropɔn Gasa mu, na ɔne ɔbea guamanfo bi kɔdaa anadwo no. 2Ankyɛ na kurowmma no tee sɛ Samson wɔ hɔ, enti Gasa mmarima boaboaa wɔn ho ano na wɔtwɛn kurow no pon ano anadwo mu no nyinaa. Wɔyɛɛ komm anadwo no kae se, “Ade kye a yebekum no.”
3Na Samson daa hɔ ara kosii ɔdasu mu. Ɔsɔre soo kurow no apon no ne nʼaponnua abien mu hodwow no, na otutuu dade abaa a ɛda akyi ne nea ɛkeka ho nyinaa. Ɔde ne nyinaa guu ne mmati so, soa de kɔɔ bepɔw bi a ɛne Hebron di nhwɛanim no atifi.
Samson Ne Delila
4Akyiri no, Samson nyaa ɔbea bi wɔ Sorek bon no mu a na wɔfrɛ no Delila. 5Filistifo16.5 Na Filisti yɛ nkurow anum a aka abɔ mu a wɔwɔ ahemfo baanum. ntuanofo no kɔɔ ɔbea no nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Hwɛ sɛ wubetumi adaadaa Samson ama wakyerɛ wo nea ɛma onya ahoɔden saa ne sɛnea yebetumi adi ne so, akyekyere no papee a yɛn mu biara bɛma wo nnwetɛbona du abien ne fa.”
6Enti Delila ka kyerɛɛ Samson se, “Mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me nea ɛma wo ahoɔden saa ne nea ɛbɛyɛ a wobetumi akyekyere wo papee.”
7Samson buaa no se, “Sɛ obi de agyan so ahama ason a ɛnwoe kyekyere me a, mɛyɛ mmerɛw te sɛ onipa biara.”
8Enti Filistifo ntuanofo no de agyan so ahama ason a ɛnwoe brɛɛ Delila ma ɔde kyekyeree Samson. 9Saa bere yi na ɔde mmarima ahintaw wɔ adan a ɛwɔ ne fi no baako mu; na ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Samson, Filistifo no aba rebɛkyere wo!” Nanso ɔtetew agyan ahama ason a ɛnwoe no mu te sɛ hama bi a wɔde aka ogya a ɛdɛw. Enti wɔanhu nʼahoɔden no ahintasɛm.
10Akyiri no, Delila ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wudii me ho fɛw, twaa me nkontompo. Afei, mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me sɛnea wobetumi akyekyere wo papee.”
11Samson buaa no se, “Sɛ wɔde ntampehama amono a wɔmfa nnii dwuma biara da kyekyere me a, meyɛ mmerɛw te sɛ onipa obiara.”
12Enti Delila kɔfaa ntampehama amono de kyekyeree no. Saa bere no na mmarima no akɔtetɛw wɔ dan mu te sɛ kan no. Bio, Delila teɛɛ mu frɛɛ no se, “Samson! Filistifo aba sɛ wɔrebɛkyere wo!” Nanso Samson tetew ntampehama no mu fii ne nsa so te sɛ asaawa bi.
13Delila ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wudii me ho fɛw twaa me nkontompo! Worenkyerɛ me sɛnea wobetumi akyekyere wo papee ana?”
Samson buaa no se, “Sɛ wonwen me tinwi mmɛsa ason no bɔ ntama bamma a ɛwɔ wʼakurokurowa no mu a, mɛyɛ mmerɛw te sɛ obiara.” Enti ɔdae no, Delila bɔɔ ne tinwi mmɛsa ason no 14de bɔɔ ntama bamma a ɛwɔ akurokurowa no so.
Bio, ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Samson! Filistifo no aba rebɛkyere wo!” Ɛhɔ ara, Samson nyanee, twee akurokurowa no yii ne tinwi no fii ntama bamma no mu.
15Delila sɔm nʼano kae se, “Wutumi ka sɛ wodɔ me, wɔ bere a wonka wo kokoamsɛm nkyerɛ me? Woadi me ho fɛw mprɛnsa, nanso wonkaa nea ɛma wo ahoɔden no nkyerɛɛ me ɛ!” 16Oguan ne ho adekyee biara kosii sɛ afei na ne ho guan no.
17Ne korakora no, Samson kaa nʼahintasɛm kyerɛɛ no se, “Wonyii me tinwi da, efisɛ wɔde me maa Onyankopɔn sɛ Nasareni fi awo mu. Sɛ woyi me tinwi a, mʼahoɔden no befi me mu ama mayɛ mmerɛw te sɛ obiara.”
18Delila huu sɛ afei de waka nokware akyerɛ no no, ɔsoma kɔfrɛɛ Filistifo ntuanofo no se, “Mommra bio, efisɛ waka biribiara akyerɛ me.” Enti Filistifo ntuanofo no san wɔn akyi kɔfaa sika no bae. 19Delila dɛfɛdɛfɛ Samson ma ɔdae a, ne ti da ne srɛ so. Ɔfrɛɛ ɔbarima bi ba ma obeyii ne tinwi sɛnea ne kyere no bɛyɛ yiye. Na nʼahoɔden no fii ne mu. 20Afei, ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Samson! Filistifo no aba rebɛkyere wo!”
Onyan no, ɔkaa wɔ ne tirim se, “Mɛyɛ sɛnea kan no na meyɛ no; mɛwosow me ho agye me ho.” Nanso na onnim sɛ Awurade afi ne mu.
21Na Filistifo no kyeree no, tutuu nʼani. Wɔde no kɔɔ Gasa na woguu no kɔbere mfrafrae mpokyerɛ ma ɔyam atoko wɔ afiase. 22Nanso ankyɛ na ne tinwi no fii ase fuwii.
Samson Nkonimdi A Edi Akyiri
23Filistifo ntuanofo no hyɛɛ fa kɛse bi, bɔɔ afɔre maa wɔn nyame Dagon dii ahurusi kae se, “Yɛn nyame de Samson a ɔyɛ yɛn tamfo no ahyɛ yɛn nsam!”
24Bere a nnipa no huu no no, wɔkamfoo wɔn nyame kae se,
“Yɛn nyame de yɛn tamfo
ahyɛ yɛn nsam;
nea okunkum yɛn mu bebree no,
yɛn nsa aka no!”
25Nnipa no bow nsa kakra no, wɔhyɛɛ sɛ, “Momfa Samson mmra na ommegye yɛn ani.” Enti woyii Samson fii afiaase. Wɔde no gyinaa asɔredan no mfimfini wɔ adum abien a ekura ɔdan no nkuruso no ntam.
26Samson ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfo a okura ne nsa rekyerɛ no kwan no se, “Ma memfa me nsa nsuso adum abien no mu, na minnye mʼahome.” 27Na nnipa ahyɛ hyiadan mu hɔ ma tɔ. Filistifo ntuanofo no nyinaa wɔ hɔ bi. Na ɔdan no so nkuruso no nso na mmarima ne mmea bɛyɛ mpensa wɔ so a wɔrehwɛ Samson na wɔredi ne ho fɛw.
28Na Samson su frɛɛ Awurade se, “Otumfo Awurade, kae me bio. Onyankopɔn, mesrɛ wo ma me ahoɔden bio na mintua Filistifo so ka wɔ mʼani a wɔatutu no ho.” 29Afei Samson susoo adum abien a ɛwɔ hyiadan no mfimfini no mu. Ɔde nʼahoɔden nyinaa piae. 30Samson bɔɔ mpae se, “Ma me ne Filistifo no nwu.” Na hyiadan no dwiriw guu Filistifo ntuanofo no ne nnipa no nyinaa so. Enti okum nnipa bebree sen dodow a okum wɔn bere a na ɔte ase no.
31Akyiri no, ne nuabarimanom ne nʼabusuafo a wɔaka kɔfaa no. Wɔde no kɔɔ ne kurom kosiee no wɔ Sora ne Estaol ntam, faako a wosiee nʼagya Manoa hɔ. Samson dii Israelfo so sɛ otemmufo mfe aduonu.
Samson and Delilah
1One day Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place. They hid and waited for him at the city gate all night long. They didn’t make any move against him during the night. They said, “Let’s wait until the sun comes up. Then we’ll kill him.”
3But Samson stayed there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up. He took hold of the doors of the city gate. He also took hold of the two doorposts. He tore them loose, together with their metal bar. He picked them up and put them on his shoulders. Then he carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
4Some time later, Samson fell in love again. The woman lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah. 5The rulers of the Philistines went to her. They said, “See if you can get him to tell you the secret of why he’s so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. Then we can tie him up. We can bring him under our control. Each of us will give you 28 pounds of silver.”
6So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of why you are so strong. Tell me how you can be tied up and controlled.”
7Samson answered her, “Let someone tie me up with seven new bowstrings. They must be strings that aren’t completely dry. Then I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
8So the Philistine rulers brought seven new bowstrings to her. They weren’t completely dry. Delilah tied Samson up with them. 9Men were hiding in the room. She called out to him, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!” But he snapped the bowstrings easily. They were like pieces of string that had come too close to a flame. So the secret of why he was so strong wasn’t discovered.
10Delilah spoke to Samson again. “You have made me look foolish,” she said. “You told me a lie. Come on. Tell me how you can be tied up.”
11Samson said, “Let someone tie me tightly with new ropes. They must be ropes that have never been used. Then I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
12So Delilah got some new ropes. She tied him up with them. Men were hiding in the room. She called out to him, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms. They fell off just as if they were threads.
13Delilah spoke to Samson again. “All this time you have been making me look foolish,” she said. “You have been telling me lies. This time really tell me how you can be tied up.”
He replied, “Weave the seven braids of my hair into the cloth on a loom. Then tighten the cloth with a pin. If you do, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while Samson was sleeping, Delilah took hold of the seven braids of his hair. She wove them into the cloth on a loom. 14Then she tightened the cloth with a pin.
Again she called out to him, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!” He woke up from his sleep. He pulled up the pin and the loom, together with the cloth.
15Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you’? You won’t even share your secret with me. This is the third time you have made me look foolish. And you still haven’t told me the secret of why you are so strong.” 16She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it.
17So he told her everything. He said, “My hair has never been cut. That’s because I’ve been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
18Delilah realized he had told her everything. So she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, “Come back one more time. He has told me everything.” So the rulers returned. They brought the silver with them. 19Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That’s how she began to bring Samson under her control. And he wasn’t strong anymore.
20She called out, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!”
He woke up from his sleep. He thought, “I’ll go out just as I did before. I’ll shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the Lord had left him.
21Then the Philistines grabbed him. They poked his eyes out. They took him down to Gaza. They put bronze chains around him. Then they made him grind grain in the prison. 22His head had been shaved. But the hair on it began to grow again.
Samson Dies
23The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. They were going to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were going to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed our enemy Samson over to us.”
24When the people saw Samson, they praised their god. They said,
“Our god has handed our enemy over to us.
Our enemy has destroyed our land.
He has killed large numbers of our people.”
25After they had drunk a lot of wine, they shouted, “Bring Samson out. Let him put on a show for us.” So they called Samson out of the prison. He put on a show for them.
They had him stand near the temple pillars. 26Then he spoke to the servant who was holding his hand. He said, “Put me where I can feel the pillars. I’m talking about the ones that hold up the temple. I want to lean against them.” 27The temple was crowded with men and women. All the Philistine rulers were there. About 3,000 men and women were on the roof. They were watching Samson put on a show. 28Then he prayed to the Lord. Samson said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. Please, God, make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow.” 29Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. They were the ones that held up the temple. He put his right hand on one of them. He put his left hand on the other. He leaned hard against them. 30Samson said, “Let me die together with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all the people in it. So Samson killed many more Philistines when he died than he did while he lived.
31Then his brothers went down to get him. So did his father’s whole family. All of them brought Samson back home. They buried him in the tomb of his father Manoah. It’s between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson had led Israel for 20 years.
