Samson Tutu Gasa Apono
1Ɛda bi, Samson kɔɔ Filistifoɔ kuropɔn Gasa mu, na ɔne ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ bi kɔdaa anadwo no. 2Ankyɛre na kuro mma no tee sɛ Samson wɔ hɔ, enti Gasa mmarima boaboaa wɔn ho ano na wɔtwɛnee kuro no ɛpono ano anadwo mu no nyinaa. Wɔyɛɛ komm anadwo no kaa sɛ, “Adeɛ kye a yɛbɛkum no.”
3Na Samson daa hɔ ara kɔsii dasuo mu. Ɔsɔre sɔɔ kuro no apono no ne nʼaponnwa mmienu mu hodwoo no, na ɔtutuu dadeɛ abaa a ɛda akyire ne deɛ ɛkeka ho nyinaa. Ɔde ne nyinaa guu ne mmatire so, soa de kɔɔ bepɔ bi a ɛne Hebron di nhwɛanimu no atifi.
Samson Ne Delila
4Akyire no, Samson nyaa ɔbaa bi wɔ Sorek bɔnhwa no mu a na wɔfrɛ no Delila. 5Filistifoɔ16.5 Na Filistia yɛ nkurotoɔ enum a aka abom a wɔwɔ ahemfo baanum. ntuanofoɔ kɔɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ sɛ wobɛtumi adaadaa Samson ma wakyerɛ wo deɛ ɛma ɔnya ahoɔden saa ne sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi adi ne so, akyekyere no pampee. Na yɛn mu biara bɛma wo nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu ne fa.”
6Enti, Delila ka kyerɛɛ Samson sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me deɛ ɛma wo ahoɔden saa ne deɛ ɛbɛyɛ a yɛbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee.”
7Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ obi de agyan so nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ kyekyere me a, mɛyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ onipa biara.”
8Enti, Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no de agyan so nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ brɛɛ Delila maa ɔde kyekyeree Samson. 9Saa ɛberɛ yi na ɔde mmarima atɛ wɔ adan a ɛwɔ ne fie no mu baako mu, na ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson, Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!” Nanso, ɔtetee agyan nhoma nson a ɛnwoeɛ no mu te sɛ ahoma bi a wɔde aka ogya dɛreɛ. Enti, wɔanhunu nʼahoɔden no ahintasɛm.
10Akyire yi, Delila ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wodii me ho fɛ, twaa me nkontompo. Afei, mesrɛ wo kyerɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee.”
11Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ wɔde ntampehoma mono a wɔmfa nnii dwuma biara da kyekyere me a, meyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ onipa obiara.”
12Enti, Delila kɔfaa ntampehoma mono de kyekyeree no. Saa ɛberɛ no na mmarima no akɔtɛ wɔ dan mu te sɛ kane no. Bio, Delila teaam frɛɛ no sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ aba sɛ wɔrebɛkye wo!” Nanso, Samson tetee ntampehoma no mu firii ne nsa so te sɛ asaawa bi.
13Delila ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wodii me ho fɛ, twaa me nkontompo! Worenkyerɛ me sɛdeɛ wɔbɛtumi akyekyere wo pampee anaa?”
Samson buaa no sɛ, “Sɛ wonwono me tirinwi mmɛsa nson no bɔ ntoma bamma a ɛwɔ wʼakurokurowa no mu a, mɛyɛ mmerɛ te sɛ obiara.” Enti ɔdaeɛ no, Delila bɔɔ ne tirinwi mmɛsa nson no 14de bɔɔ ntoma bamma a ɛwɔ akurokurowa no so.
Bio, ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!” Ɛhɔ ara, Samson nyaneeɛ, twee akurokurowa no yii ne tirinwi no firii ntoma bamma no mu.
15Delila sɔm nʼano kaa sɛ, “Wotumi ka sɛ wodɔ me, wɔ ɛberɛ a wonka wo kokoamsɛm nkyerɛ me? Woadi me ho fɛ mprɛnsa, nanso wonkaa deɛ ɛma wo ahoɔden no nkyerɛɛ me!” 16Odwan ne ho adekyeɛ biara kɔsii sɛ afei na wabrɛ no.
17Ne korakora no, Samson kaa nʼahintasɛm kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wɔnyii me tirinwi da, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde me maa Onyankopɔn sɛ Nasareni firi awoɔ mu. Sɛ wɔyi me tirinwi a, mʼahoɔden no bɛfiri me mu ama mayɛ mmerɛ te sɛ obiara.”
18Delila hunuu sɛ afei deɛ waka nokorɛ akyerɛ no no, ɔsoma kɔfrɛɛ Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no sɛ, “Mommra bio, ɛfiri sɛ waka biribiara akyerɛ me.” Enti, Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no sane wɔn akyi kɔfaa sika no baeɛ. 19Delila dɛfɛdɛfɛɛ Samson ma ɔdaeɛ a, ne ti da ne srɛ so. Ɔfrɛɛ ɔbarima bi baeɛ ma ɔbɛyii ne tirinwi sɛdeɛ ne kyere no bɛyɛ yie. Na nʼahoɔden no firii ne mu. 20Afei, ɔteaam sɛ, “Samson! Filistifoɔ no aba rebɛkye wo!”
Ɔnyaneeɛ no, ɔkaa wɔ ne tirim sɛ, “Mɛyɛ sɛdeɛ kane no na meyɛ no mɛwoso me ho agye me ho.” Nanso na ɔnnim sɛ Awurade afiri ne mu.
21Na Filistifoɔ no kyeree no, tutuu nʼani. Wɔde no kɔɔ Gasa na wɔguu no kɔbere mfrafraeɛ mpokyerɛ ma ɔyamm atokoɔ wɔ nnedua fie. 22Nanso, ankyɛre na ne tirinwi no hyɛɛ aseɛ fuiɛ.
Samson Nkonimdie A Ɛdi Akyire
23Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ hyɛɛ fa kɛseɛ bi, bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa wɔn nyame Dagon dii ahurisie kaa sɛ, “Yɛn nyame de Samson a ɔyɛ yɛn ɔtamfoɔ no ahyɛ yɛn nsam!”
24Ɛberɛ a nnipa no hunuu no no, wɔkamfoo wɔn nyame kaa sɛ,
“Yɛn nyame de yɛn ɔtamfoɔ
ahyɛ yɛn nsam;
deɛ ɔkunkumm yɛn mu bebree no
yɛn nsa aka no!”
25Nnipa no boroo nsã kakra no, wɔhyɛɛ sɛ, “Momfa Samson mmra na ɔmmɛgye yɛn ani.” Enti, wɔyii Samson firii nnedua fie. Wɔde no gyinaa asɔredan no mfimfini wɔ adum mmienu a ɛkura ɛdan no mmɔsoɔ no ntam.
26Samson ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ a ɔkura ne nsa rekyerɛ no kwan no sɛ, “Ma memfa me nsa nsosɔ adum mmienu no mu, na mennye mʼahome.” 27Na nnipa ahyɛ asɔrefie hɔ ma tɔ. Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no nyinaa wɔ hɔ bi. Na ɛdan no so mmɔsoɔ no nso na mmarima ne mmaa bɛyɛ mpensa wɔ so a wɔrehwɛ Samson na wɔredi ne ho fɛ.
28Na Samson su frɛɛ Awurade sɛ, “Ao Otumfoɔ Awurade, kae me bio. Ao Onyankopɔn, mesrɛ wo ma me ahoɔden bio na mentua Filistifoɔ so ka wɔ mʼani a wɔatutu no so.” 29Afei Samson sosɔɔ adum mmienu a ɛwɔ asɔrefie no mfimfini no mu. Ɔde nʼahoɔden nyinaa piaeɛ. 30Samson bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ma me ne Filistifoɔ no nwu.” Na asɔrefie no dwiri guu Filistifoɔ ntuanofoɔ no ne nnipa no nyinaa so. Enti, ɔkumm nnipa bebree sene dodoɔ a ɔkumm wɔn ɛberɛ a na ɔte ase no.
31Akyire yi, ne nuammarima ne nʼabusuafoɔ a wɔaka kɔfaa no. Wɔde no kɔɔ ne kurom kɔsiee no wɔ Sora ne Estaol ntam, baabi a wɔsiee nʼagya Manoa hɔ. Samson dii Israelfoɔ so ɔtemmufoɔ mfeɛ aduonu.
Samson and Delilah
1One day Samson went to Gaza, where 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 and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, ‘At dawn we’ll kill him.’
3But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
4Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, ‘See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so that we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels16:5 That is, about 13 kilograms of silver.’
6So Delilah said to Samson, ‘Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.’
7Samson answered her, ‘If anyone ties me with seven fresh bow-strings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.’
8Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bow-strings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. 9With men hidden in the room, she called to him, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ But he snapped the bow-strings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.
10Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.’
11He said, ‘If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.’
12So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
13Delilah then said to Samson, ‘All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.’
He replied, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.’ So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric 14and16:13,14 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew replied, ‘I can if you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom.’ 14 So she tightened it with the pin.
Again she called to him, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.
15Then she said to him, ‘How can you say, “I love you,” when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.’ 16With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.
17So he told her everything. ‘No razor has ever been used on my head,’ he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.’
18When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, ‘Come back once more; he has told me everything.’ So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him.16:19 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and he began to weaken And his strength left him.
20Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’
He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.
21Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding corn in the prison. 22But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
The death of Samson
23Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, ‘Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.’
24When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying,
‘Our god has delivered our enemy
into our hands,
the one who laid waste our land
and multiplied our slain.’
25While they were in high spirits, they shouted, ‘Bring out Samson to entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.
When they stood him among the pillars, 26Samson said to the servant who held his hand, ‘Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.’ 27Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28Then Samson prayed to the Lord, ‘Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.’ 29Then Samson reached towards the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
31Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led16:31 Traditionally judged Israel for twenty years.
