Judges 16
1 One day Samson went to Gaza [city in the Philistia area]. He spent some time with a prostitute.
Gbe ɖeka la, Samson yi Filistitɔwo ƒe du si woyɔna be Gaza la me eye wòtsi gbolo aɖe gbɔ dɔ.
2 People soon found out that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together at the city gate and waited all night. They said to themselves, “When it dawns tomorrow morning, we will kill him [when he tries to leave the city].”
Wofi tofi na amewo be wokpɔ Samson le dua me eya ta wona nyanya duŋudzɔlawo. Ŋutsu geɖewo de xa ɖi nɛ zã blibo la le dua ƒe agbo nu, ale be ne eva dzo yina la, yewoalée. Wogblɔ le wo ɖokui dome be, “Ne ŋu ke eye asifli le dzedzem ko la, míakpɔe alée, awui.”
3 But Samson did not stay there all night. At midnight, he got up. He went to the city gate, he took hold of its two posts, and he lifted it up out of the ground, with its [connecting cross] bar still attached. He put it on his shoulders and carried it [many miles] uphill to Hebron.
Samson mlɔ anyi kple gbolo la va se ɖe zãtitina. Efɔ heyi dua ƒe agbo la gbɔ. Eho agbo la kple eƒe atiwo le tome kpe ɖe gametiawo ŋu, tsɔ wo ɖe abɔta heyi ɖada ɖe to aɖe tame le Hebron ƒe akpa kɛme.
4 Later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, [and started to live with her]. She lived in Sorek Valley [in the Philistia area].
Azɔ la, Samson dze ahiã ɖetugbi aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Delila ame si nɔ Sorek ƒe balime.
5 The Philistine leaders went to her and said, “Find out from Samson what makes him so strong. And find out how we can subdue him and tie him up securely. If you do that, each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
Filistitɔwo ƒe kplɔla atɔ̃awo katã va yi Ɖelila gbɔ, eye wobia tso esi be wòable Samson nu ne wòagblɔ eƒe ŋusẽ ƒe dzɔtsoƒe nɛ ne wòava gblɔ na yewo ale be yewoate ŋu akpɔ ŋusẽ ɖe edzi alée, ablae awɔ fui. Ne ete ŋu wɔ nenema la, ekema yewo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe atsɔ klosalo akpe ɖeka kple alafa ɖeka anae.
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong, and tell me how someone can subdue you and tie you up.”
Nu sia na Delila ɖe kuku na Samson be wòagblɔ eƒe nya ɣaɣla la na ye. Egblɔ be, “Meɖe kuku, gblɔ nu si na wò lãme sesẽna alea la nam, nyemebu be ame aɖeke ate ŋu alé wò o!”
7 Samson said, “If someone ties me with seven new bowstrings, ones that are not dry yet, I will become as weak as other men.”
Samson gblɔ nɛ be, “Ne woablam kple datimeka yeye adre la, magbɔdzɔ abe ame bubuwo ene.”
8 So [after Delilah told that to the Philistine leaders], they brought seven new bowstrings to Delilah.
Ale wotsɔ datimeka yeye adre na Ɖelila eye esi Samson dɔ alɔ̃ la, Ɖelila blae kple ka adreawo,
9 Then she hid the men in one of the rooms in her house. Then [while Samson was sleeping], she tied him up with the bowstrings. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come here to capture you!” But Samson snapped the bowstrings as easily as though they were strings that had been singed in a fire. So the Philistines did not find out what made Samson so strong.
le esime ŋutsu aɖewo be ɖe xɔ evelia me. Esi Ɖelila blae vɔ ko la, edo ɣli sesĩe be, “Samson, Filistitɔwo ƒo ɖe dziwò!” Samson tso kaawo enumake abe ale si dzo lãa ɖetikawo ene. Ale womenya nu si tututu mee eƒe ŋusẽ triakɔ la le o.
10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have deceived me and lied to me! Now tell me [the truth, ] how someone can tie you up securely.”
Emegbe la, Delila gblɔ nɛ be, “Ɖeko nètsɔm abe nu ɖikokoe aɖe ko ene hele bleyem, meɖe kuku, gblɔ nu si tututu woawɔ hafi ate ŋu alé wò la nam dzro!”
11 Samson replied, “If someone ties me with new ropes, ones that have never been used, I will be as weak as other men.”
Samson ɖo eŋu be, “Ne woblam kple ka yeye siwo wometsɔ bla nanekee kpɔ o la, ekema magbɔdzɔ abe ame bubuwo ene.”
12 So again, [she told the Philistine leaders, and] they [came and] hid in the room as they had done before. And again, while Samson was sleeping, she took the new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson snapped the ropes on his arms as easily as if they were threads.
Ale esi Samson dɔ alɔ̃ la, Delila tsɔ ka yeyewo blae. Ŋutsuwo gabe ɖe xɔ evelia me abe tsã ene eye Ɖelila do ɣli be, “Samson, Filistitɔwo va be yewoalé wò!” Samson tso kaawo abe yiyiɖɔ ƒe kawoe wonye ene!
13 Then Delilah said, “You have deceived me and lied to me [again]! Please tell me how someone can tie you up securely!” Samson replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the threads you are weaving on the loom, and then fasten those threads with the pin [that makes the threads tight], then I will be as weak as other men.” So again, while Samson was sleeping on her lap, Delilah held the seven braids of his hair, and wove them into the threads on the loom,
Delila gagblɔ nɛ be, “Ɖeko nègatsɔm abe nu ɖikokoe aɖe ko ene, gblɔ ale si woate ŋu alé wòe la nam azɔ.” Samson gblɔ be, “Ne èlɔ̃ nye ɖakɔ adreawo abe ale si wolɔ̃a avɔe ene la, magbɔdzɔ abe ame bubuwo ene.” Ale esi Samson dɔ alɔ̃ la, Ɖelila lɔ̃ ɖakɔ adreawo
14 and she tightened them with the pin. Then she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But Samson woke up and pulled out the pin, and pulled his hair from the threads on the loom.
eye wòtsɔ ɖalénu lée. Azɔ edo ɣli be, “Samson, Filistitɔwo ƒo ɖe dziwò!” Samson nyɔ eye wòtu ɖa babla la.
15 Then Delilah said to him, “How can you say that you love me when you do not tell me the truth about yourself? You have deceived me three times, and you still have not told me what really makes you so strong!”
Ɖelila fa konyi be, “Aleke nàte ŋu agblɔ be yelɔ̃m gake màte ŋu agblɔ wò nya ɣaɣla nam o? Èblem zi etɔ̃ sɔŋ eye mègblɔ afi si wò ŋusẽ le la nam o!”
16 Day after day she nagged him like that. He thought he would die from her nagging [IDM].
Mlɔeba la, le eƒe gbe sia gbe ƒe nyatoƒitoto kple fuɖename ta la, ɖeɖi te Samson ŋu.
17 Finally Samson told her the truth. He said, “I have been set apart for God since the day I was born. And because of that, my hair has never been cut. If my hair were shaved off, my strength would be gone, and I would be as weak as other men.”
Ale Samson gblɔ nya sia nya nɛ be, “Womelũ ta nam kpɔ o elabena menye Naziritɔ si woɖe ɖe aga na Mawu tso nye dzidzime ke. Ne woalũ ta nam la, nye ŋusẽ adzo le gbɔnye eye magbɔdzɔ abe ame bubu ɖe sia ɖe ene.”
18 Delilah realized that this time he had told her the truth. So she summoned the Philistine leaders again, saying, “Come back one more time, because Samson has really told me everything [about why he is so strong]”. So the Philistine leaders returned and brought to Delilah the money [that they promised to give her].
Delila dze sii bena egblɔ nyateƒe la na ye mlɔeba eya ta wòɖo du ɖe Filistitɔwo ƒe kplɔla atɔ̃awo. Egblɔ na wo be, “Migava zi ɖeka ko elabena azɔ ya la, egblɔ nya sia nya nam.” Tete Filisitɔwo ƒe amegãwo va eye wotsɔ klosalo ɖe asi.
19 Again she lulled Samson to sleep, with his head in her lap. Then she called one of the Philistine men to come and shave off Samson’s hair. As he did that, Samson began to get weaker. And finally his strength was all gone.
Ɖelila ble Samson nu wòdɔ alɔ̃ ɖe eƒe atata. Eyɔ ame aɖe vɛ, wòko Samson ƒe ɖakɔ adreawo nɛ, ale Samson de asi gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔ me, eye eƒe ŋusẽ dzo. Ɖelila de asi kɔtutui me elabena ekpɔ be eƒe ŋusẽ dzi nɔ ɖeɖem kpɔtɔ.
20 Then [after she tied him up], she called out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” He woke up and thought, “I will do as I did before. I will shake [these ropes] off myself and be free!” But he did not realize that Yahweh had left him.
Azɔ edo ɣli be, “Samson, Filistitɔwo ƒo ɖe dziwò!” Samson nyɔ hebu le ta me be, “Mawɔ abe tsã ene. Maʋuʋu ɖokuinye eye magado tso woƒe asi me.” Ke medze sii be Yehowa dzo le ye gbɔ o.
21 So the Philistine men seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they took him to Gaza. There they put him in prison and bound him with bronze chains. They made him [turn a millstone to] grind grain [every day].
Ale Filistitɔwo lée, wogbã eƒe ŋkuwo, kplɔe yi Gaza, de gae kple akɔblikɔsɔkɔsɔ eye wona wòtua bli abe gaxɔmenɔla ene.
22 But his hair started to grow again.
Ke sẽe ko la, eƒe ɖa gade asi toto me.
23 [Several months later] the Philistine leaders celebrated a big festival. During the festival they offered sacrifices to their god Dagon. They praised him, saying, “Our god has enabled us to defeat our great enemy Samson!”
Azɔ la, Filistitɔwo ƒe dukplɔlawo ƒo ƒu be yewoasa vɔ na Dagon, woƒe mawu eye yewoaɖu ŋkekenyui elabena wogblɔ be, “Míaƒe mawu tsɔ Samson, míaƒe futɔ, de asi na mí.”
24 And when the other people saw Samson, they also praised their god Dagon, saying, “Samson ruined our crops and killed many of our people, but our god has put our enemy into our hands. Our god helped us to capture the one who has killed so many of us!”
Esi ameawo kpɔe la, wokafu woƒe mawu eye wogblɔ be, “Míaƒe mawu tsɔ míaƒe futɔ la de asi na mí, ame si gblẽ míaƒe anyigba eye wòwu mía dometɔ geɖewo.”
25 By that time the people were half-drunk. They shouted, “Bring Samson out of the prison! Bring him here so that he can entertain us!” So they brought Samson from the prison and made fun of him. Then they made him stand in the center of the temple. They made him stand between the two pillars that held up the roof.
Wain si wono la na wokpɔ dzidzɔ eye wogblɔ be, “Miyɔ Samson ɖa wòava ɖe modzaka na mí.” Ale wokplɔe tso gaxɔ la me eye wòva ɖe modzaka na wo le Dagon subɔƒe. Esime wònɔ sɔti eve siwo tsɔ xɔgbagba la dome la,
26 Samson said to the servant who was leading him by his hand, “Place my hands against the two pillars. I want to rest against them.”
Samson gblɔ na ɖekakpui si lé eƒe alɔnu le ekplɔm la be, “Tsɔ nye asiwo ɖo sɔti eveawo ŋu. Medi be maziɔ ɖe wo ŋu ne madzudzɔ sẽe.”
27 At that time the temple was full of men and women. All the Philistine leaders were also there. And there were about 3,000 people on the roof, watching Samson and making fun of him.
Amewo yɔ xɔ la taŋtaŋ; Filistitɔwo ƒe kplɔla atɔ̃awo kple ame bubu akpe etɔ̃ nɔ xɔ la tame henɔ Samson ƒe modzakaɖename ƒe nuwɔnawo kpɔm.
28 Then Samson prayed, saying, “Yahweh, my Lord, think about me again! Please give me strength one more time, so that I may get revenge on the Philistines for gouging out my eyes!”
Samson do gbe ɖa na Aƒetɔ la hegblɔ be, “Oo, Yehowa, Aƒetɔ Mawu, gaɖo ŋku dzinye. Meɖe kuku, gado ŋusẽm zi ɖeka ko, ale be mate ŋu abia hlɔ̃ Filistitɔwo ɖe nye ŋku siwo wogbã la dometɔ ɖeka pɛ ko ta.”
29 Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars of the temple. He put his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other pillar.
Samson tsɔ eƒe ŋusẽ katã tutu sɔtiawo sesĩe
30 Then he shouted [to God], “Let me die with the Philistines!”, and he pushed with all his strength. [The pillars collapsed], and the temple crashed down on the Philistine leaders and all the other Philistine people, [and they all died]. So Samson killed more people when he died than he had killed all during his life.
le esime wòdo gbe ɖa be, “Na maku kple Filistitɔ siawo.” Tete gbedoxɔ la ƒe dzisasã ge dze Filistitɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo kple ameawo katã dzi eye woku. Ale ame siwo Samson wu le eƒe kuɣi la sɔ gbɔ wu ame siwo wòwu le eƒe agbenɔɣi blibo la me.
31 Later his brothers and their relatives went down [from Zorah to Gaza] to get his body. They took it back home and buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, at the place where Samson’s father Manoah was buried. Samson had been Israel’s leader for 20 years.
Le esiawo megbe la, nɔviawo kple ƒometɔwo va be woaxɔ eƒe kukua, wokɔe yi eƒe anyigba dzi eye woɖii ɖe Zora kple Estaol dome, afi si woɖi fofoa, Manoa ɖo. Samson nye ʋɔnudrɔ̃la na Israel ƒe blaeve.
