< Balam 16 >

1 Samusooni n’alaga e Gaza n’alabayo omukazi malaaya, n’ayingira gy’ali.
He also went into Gaza. And there he saw a harlot woman, and he entered to her.
2 Awo abantu ab’e Gaza ne bategeezebwa nga Samusooni bw’ali mu kifo ekyo. Ne bamuzingiza ne bamuteegera ku wankaaki w’ekibuga ekiro kyonna. Ne basiriikirira ekiro kyonna nga bagamba nti, “Obudde bwe bunaaba nga bunaatera okukya tunaamutta.”
And when the Philistines had heard of this, and it had become well known among them, that Samson had entered the city, they surrounded him, placing guards at the gate of the city. And there they were keeping watch all night in silence, so that, in the morning, they might kill him as he was going out.
3 Naye Samusooni ne yeebaka okutuusa ettumbi, n’agolokoka mu ttumbi, n’akwata enzigi ebbiri eza wankaaki w’ekibuga, n’emifuubeeto gyombi, n’abisimbula okuva mu bifo byabyo, n’agyawo n’ekisiba, n’abiteeka ku bibegaabega bye n’abitwala ku ntikko y’olusozi olutunuulidde Kebbulooni.
But Samson slept until the middle of the night, and rising up from there, he took both doors from the gate, with their posts and bars. And laying them upon his shoulders, he carried them to the top of the hill that looks toward Hebron.
4 Awo oluvannyuma lw’ebyo n’aganza omukazi mu kiwonvu ky’e Soleki, erinnya lye Derira.
After these things, he loved a woman who was living in the valley of Sorek. And she was called Delilah.
5 Abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne bagenda gy’ali ne bamugamba nti, “Musendesende olabe amaanyi ge amangi mwe gasibuka, tulyoke tusinziire okwo okumusobola, tumusibe tumujeeze. Naffe tulikuwa buli omu ku ffe, ebitundu bya ffeeza lukumi mu kikumi.”
And the leaders of the Philistines went to her, and they said: “Deceive him, and learn from him wherein lies his great strength, and how we may be able to overcome him and to impose restraints on him. And if you will do this, each one of us will give you one thousand one hundred silver coins.”
6 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Kaakano mbuulira amaanyi go amangi mwe gasibuka, era n’ekiyinza okukusiba okukujeeza.”
Therefore, Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me, I beg you, wherein lies your very great strength, and with what might you be bound, so that you could not break free?”
7 Samusooni n’amugamba nti, “Bwe bansiba enkolokolo embisi musanvu, ezitakaze, olwo nnaanafuwa ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
And Samson answered her, “If I will be bound with seven cords, made of sinews not yet dry, but still damp, I will be weak like other men.”
8 Abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne baleetera omukazi enkolokolo musanvu embisi ezitakaze, n’azimusibya.
And the princes of the Philistines brought to her seven cords, such as he had described. And she bound him with these.
9 Waaliwo abasajja abaali beekwese mu kisenge omwo omukazi mwe yali. Awo omukazi n’akoowoola Samusooni ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’akutula enkolokolo, ng’omuntu bwe yandikutudde omuguwa oguyise mu muliro. Bwe kityo ensibuko y’amaanyi ge n’etazuulibwa.
And so, those hiding in ambush with her, in the bedroom, were expecting the end of the matter. And she cried out to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he broke the cords, as one would break a thread of flax, twisted for cutting and singed by fire. And so it was not known wherein lay his strength.
10 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Laba, onduulidde, era onnimbye. Kaakano mbuulira ekiyinza okukusiba.”
And Delilah said to him: “Behold, you have mocked me, and you have spoken a falsehood. But at least now, tell me with what you may be bound.”
11 N’amugamba nti, “Bwe bansibya emiguwa emiggya egitakozesebwangako, nnaanafuwa, ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
And he answered her, “If I will be bound with new cords, which have never been used, I will be weak and like other men.”
12 Awo Derira n’addira emiguwa emiggya, n’amusiba, nga mu kisenge mulimu abasajja abeekwese. N’alyoka amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni, Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agyekutulako ku mikono ng’ewuzi.
Again, Delilah tied him with these, and she cried out, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For an ambush had been prepared in the bedroom. But he broke the bindings like the filaments of a web.
13 Awo Derira n’agamba Samusooni nti, “Okutuusa kaakano onduulidde era onnimbye. Mbuulira ekiyinza okukusiba.” N’amugamba nti, “Bw’onooluka emivumbo musanvu egiri ku mutwe gwange, n’engoye, n’obinyweza nzija kunafuwa, mbeere ng’omuntu omulala yenna.” N’aluka emivumbo omusanvu egy’ali ku mutwe gwe, n’engoye,
And Delilah spoke to him again: “How long will you deceive me and tell me falsehoods? Reveal with what you ought to be bound.” And Samson responded to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with a loom, and if you tie these around a spike and fix it to the ground, I will be weak.”
14 n’abinyweza n’olubambo. N’amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agolokoka okuva mu tulo, ne yeetakkuluza ku lubambo lw’omuti ogulukirwako n’engoye ezirukiddwa.
And when Delilah had done this, she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.” And arising from sleep, he withdrew the spike with the hairs and the weaving.
15 Awo Derira n’amugamba nti, “Oyinza otya okugamba nti onjagala, ate ng’omutima gwo teguli nange? Gino emirundi esatu onduulidde, n’otontegeeza amaanyi go amangi mwe gasibuka.”
And Delilah said to him: “How can you say that you love me, when your soul is not with me? You have lied to me on three occasions, and you are not willing to reveal wherein lies your very great strength.”
16 Bw’atyo omukazi n’amusendasendanga n’ebigambo bye ennaku zonna ng’amubuuza okutuusa lwe yamwetamwa.
And when she had been very troublesome to him, and over many days had continually stayed nearby, giving him no time to rest, his soul was faint, and he was weary, even unto death.
17 Awo Samusooni n’amubuulira ebyali ku mutima gwe byonna. N’amugamba nti, “Simwebwangako nviiri, kubanga ndi muwonge eri Katonda okuva mu lubuto lwa mmange. Bwe mwebwako enviiri, olwo amaanyi gange gananvaako, ne nnafuwa, ne mbeera ng’omuntu omulala yenna.”
Then disclosing the truth of the matter, he said to her: “Iron has never been drawn across my head, for I am a Nazirite, that is, I have been consecrated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head will be shaven, my strength will depart from me, and I will be faint and will be like other men.”
18 Awo Derira bwe yalaba ng’amutegeezezza byonna ebyali ku mutima gwe, n’atumira abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ng’agamba nti, “Mukomeewo omulundi guno gwokka, kubanga yantegeezezza ebiri mu mutima gwe byonna.” Awo Abafirisuuti ne bakomawo nga baleese ezaabu.
Then, seeing that he had confessed to her his whole soul, she sent to the leaders of the Philistines and ordered: “Come up just once more. For now he has opened his heart to me.” And they went up, taking with them the money that they had promised.
19 N’amwebasa ku maviivi ge, n’ayita omusajja n’amumwa emivumbo omusanvu egyali ku mutwe gwe, n’atandika okujeeza, amaanyi ge ne gamuvaako.
But she made him sleep upon her knees, and recline his head upon her bosom. And she called a barber, and he shaved his seven locks of hair. And she began to push him away, and to repel him from herself. For immediately his strength departed from him.
20 N’amukoowoola ng’agamba nti, “Samusooni, Abafirisuuti bakuguddeko.” N’agolokoka okuva mu tulo ng’agamba nti, “Nzija kwetakkuluza ŋŋende nga bulijjo.” Naye teyamanya nga Mukama Katonda amulese.
And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And awaking from sleep, he said in his mind, “I will break away and shake myself free, just as I did before.” For he did not know that the Lord had withdrawn from him.
21 Awo Abafirisuuti ne bakwata Samusooni, ne bamuggyamu amaaso, ne bamuserengesa e Gaza nga musibe mu njegere ez’ekikomo, ne bamuteeka mu kkomera mu nnyumba omuseerebwa obuwunga.
And when the Philistines had seized him, they immediately plucked out his eyes. And they led him, bound in chains, to Gaza. And enclosing him in a prison, they made him work a millstone.
22 Kyokka bwe yamala okumwebwa, enviiri ze ne zitandika okumera.
And now his hair began to grow back.
23 Awo abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne bakuŋŋaana okuwaayo ssaddaaka eri lubaale waabwe Dagoni, nga bwe basanyuka. Ne boogera nti, “Lubaale waffe agabudde Samusooni omulabe waffe mu mukono gwaffe.”
And the leaders of the Philistines convened as one, so that they might offer great sacrifices to Dagon, their god. And they feasted, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy, Samson, into our hands.”
24 Abantu bwe baalaba Samusooni, ne batendereza lubaale waabwe nga bwe boogera nti, “Lubaale waffe agabudde omulabe waffe mu mukono gwaffe, oyo eyazikiriza ensi yaffe, n’atta bangi ku ffe.”
Then, too, the people, seeing this, praised their god, and they said the same, “Our god has delivered our adversary into our hands: the one who destroyed our land and who killed very many.”
25 Awo bwe baasanyuka ennyo, ne bawowoggana nga bwe bagamba nti, “Mutuyitire Samusooni atusanyuseemu.” Ne baleeta Samusooni abasanyuseemu, nga bamuggya mu kkomera. Ne bamuyimiriza wakati w’empagi.
And rejoicing in their celebration, having now taken food, they instructed that Samson be called, and that he be mocked before them. And having been brought from prison, he was mocked before them. And they caused him to stand between two pillars.
26 Awo Samusooni n’agamba omuweereza eyali amukutte ku mukono nti, “Leka nkwate ku mpagi eziwaniridde essabo, nsobole okuzeesigama.”
And he said to the boy who was guiding his steps, “Permit me to touch the pillars, which support the entire house, and to lean against them, so that I may rest a little.”
27 Mu ssabo mwalimu ekibiina kinene eky’abasajja n’abakazi nga mulimu n’abakulembeze bonna ab’Abafirisuuti. Ne waggulu ku kasolya kwaliko abantu ng’enkumi ssatu abaali batunuulira Samusooni ng’abasanyusaamu.
Now the house was full of men and women. And all the leaders of the Philistines were there, as well as about three thousand persons, of both sexes, on the roof and in the upper level of the house, who were watching Samson being mocked.
28 Awo Samusooni n’asaba eri Mukama ng’agamba nti, “Mukama Katonda onzijukire kaakano, ompe amaanyi. Omulundi guno gwokka, ayi Katonda mpalane eggwanga ku Bafirisuuti olw’amaaso gange abiri.”
Then, calling upon the Lord, he said, “O Lord God remember me, and restore to me now my former strength, O my God, so that I may avenge myself against my enemies, and so that I may receive one vengeance for the deprivation of my two eyes.”
29 Samusooni n’akwata empagi zombi ezaali wakati mu ssabo we yali ayimiridde, n’azeesigamako, omukono gwe ogwa ddyo nga guli ku mpagi emu, n’omukono ogwa kkono nga guli ku ndala.
And taking hold of both the pillars, on which the house rested, and holding one with his right hand and the other with his left,
30 Samusooni n’ayogera nti, “Leka nfiire wamu n’Abafirisuuti.” N’asindika n’amaanyi ge gonna, essabo ne ligwa ku bakulembeze, n’abantu bonna abaalimu naye, era n’atta bangi mu kufa kwe okusinga ne be yatta nga mulamu.
he said, “May my life die with the Philistines.” And when he had shaken the pillars strongly, the house fell upon all the leaders, and the rest of the multitude who were there. And he killed many more in his death than he had killed before in his life.
31 Awo baganda be n’ennyumba yonna eya kitaawe ne bagenda ne baggyayo omulambo gwe, ne bagutwala ewaabwe, ne bamuziika mu ntaana ya kitaawe Manowa eyali wakati w’e Zola ne Esutaoli. Yali akulembedde Isirayiri okumala emyaka amakumi abiri.
Then his brothers and all his relatives, going down, took his body, and they buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of his father, Manoah. And he judged Israel for twenty years.

< Balam 16 >