The Birth of Samson
1 The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.
2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children. 3 The Lord's angel appeared to her and said, “You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son. 4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food; 5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a nazirite. He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God has come to me, and he looked as frightening as the angel of God. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. 7 But he did tell me that I would become pregnant and have a son. He told me not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food, because the boy is to be dedicated to God as a nazirite as long as he lives.”
8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God that you sent come back to us and tell us what we must do with the boy when he is born.”
9 God did what Manoah asked, and his angel came back to the woman while she was sitting in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her, 10 so she ran at once and told him, “Look! The man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again.”
11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. He went to the man and asked, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”
“Yes,” he answered.
12 Then Manoah said, “Now then, when your words come true, what must the boy do? What kind of a life must he lead?”
13 The Lord's angel answered, “Your wife must be sure to do everything that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine; she must not drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food. She must do everything that I have told her.”
15-16 Not knowing that it was the Lord's angel, Manoah said to him, “Please do not go yet. Let us cook a young goat for you.”
But the angel said, “If I do stay, I will not eat your food. But if you want to prepare it, burn it as an offering to the Lord.”
17 Manoah replied, “Tell us your name, so that we can honor you when your words come true.”
18 The angel asked, “Why do you want to know my name? It is a name of wonder.”
19 So Manoah took a young goat and some grain, and offered them on the rock altar to the Lord who works wonders. 20-21 While the flames were going up from the altar, Manoah and his wife saw the Lord's angel go up toward heaven in the flames. Manoah realized then that the man had been the Lord's angel, and he and his wife threw themselves face downward on the ground. They never saw the angel again.
22 Manoah said to his wife, “We are sure to die, because we have seen God!”
23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our offerings; he would not have shown us all this or told us such things at this time.”
24 The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Lord's power began to strengthen him while he was between Zorah and Eshtaol in the Camp of Dan.
Kuzwagwa kwa Samisoni
1 Ngono bathu be Iziraela bakathama mbipo kakale mu mesho a Yahwe, ngono Yahwe bakabalonga mu maboko e Bafilisitiya kwe makole ali makumi manna (40). 2 Kwakabe kuna nlume we Zora edang'wa Manowa, we ludzi gwa Dani, wakabe ana nkadzi usina mbeleko, asina mwana. 3 Ntumwa wa Yahwe kazwilakidza kunli ukandwa kati, “Bona, u balumbila auna mwana, koga unowozwisenga uka wana mwana we tjilisana. 4 Ngono uyele njele kuti autong'wa nkumbi we zhambi kene busukwa kene kuli kuja tjimwe tjisitjibuyanana, 5 ngoti unowozwisenga uka wana mwana we tjilisana. Kusheteke reza inowoshingisiwa mu nsholo uwe, ngobe mbisana unowobe Nnaziri, unowopiwa Ndzimu mu kuzwagwa kukwe, ngono unowotangisa ku sunungula Baiziraela mu maboko e Bafilisitiya.” 6 Nkadzi kayenda kanobudza nlume uwe eti, “Nlume we Ndzimu wazha kundili. Wabe elingika se ntumwa we Ndzimu, etjenamisa. Andizombhuzwa kwaanodwa, ngono naiye aazondibudza zina lile. 7 Koga wandidwa eti, ‘Unowozwisenga ukawana mwana we tjilisana. Ngono ngwenu, using'we nkumbi we zhambi kene busukwa, usije tjimwe tjisitjibuyanana, ngobe mbisana unowopiwa Ndzimu kudwa mukuzwagwa kunoti zhuba le lufu gugwe.’ ”
8 Ngono Manowa katembezela kuna Yahwe kati, “Imwi Yahwe, ndokumbila kuti ntumwa we Ndzimu wamatumila kutili azhe kakale kutili ngono atidiye kuti tilele tjini mbisana unowozwagwa.” 9 Ndzimu bakahwa hwi la Manowa, ngono ntumwa we Ndzimu kazha kakale ku nkadzi ali ku minda koga nlume uwe Manowa wakabe asinaye. 10 Nkadzi kalibilidza kanobudza nlume uwe eti, “Bona, nlume wakazha kundili zhuba elilije wazwilakidza kundili.”
11 Manowa kamilika kasala nkadzi uwe shule. Wakati eswika pa nlume, kabhuzwa kati, “Apa ndiwe nlume wakalebeleka ne nkadzi wangu kene?” Kadabila eti, “Ndimi.”
12 Ndizo Manowa kati, “Apa matama awo ashingikadziwa, mbisana wakafanila tjila tjini, ashingeni?” 13 Ngono ntumwa wa Yahwe akadwa Manowa eti, “Nkadzi ngaabe ne njele muna zose zwandakambudza. 14 Asije tjimwe tjinodwa mu zhambi, kene kuli kung'wa nkumbi we zhambi kene busukwa kene kuja tjimwe tjisitjibuyanana, zose zwandambudza azwithame.”
15 Manowa kadwa ntumwa wa Yahwe kati, “Tokumbila ugale, tikululwamisile tjibudzana.”
16 Ntumwa wa Yahwe kashandula eti, “Kene ukandinonosa, anditowoja zojiwa zwizo, koga apa ululwamisa tjibhayilo, utjithamile Yahwe.” Ngobe Manowa wakabe asinga zibe kuti ntumwa wa Yahwe. 17 Manowa kabhuzwa ntumwa wa Yahwe eti, “Zina lilo ndiyani, kuti ndizo apa matama awo angashingikala tikukudze?” 18 Ntumwa wa Yahwe kashandula eti, “Ini ubhuzwa zina langu kana ndelinotjenamisa.” 19 Ipapo Manowa katola tjibudzana kose ne tjipo tje mathunde, kadusila Yahwe tjibhayilo pezhugwi kwe shongwe. Ngono Yahwe bakathama tjinotjenamisa Manowa ne nkadzi uwe bakalingilila 20 sekwa nthuto wakayenda pezhugwi kudzimu udwa mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo, ntumwa wa Yahwe katathila ali mu nthuto. Manowa ne nkadzi uwe bakati bebona ikoku bakawila pasi nge njiso.
21 Ntumwa wa Yahwe ukasitjaboneke muna Manowa ne nkadzi uwe. Ndizo Manowa kaziba kuti kwabekuli ntumwa wa Yahwe. 22 Ngono Manowa kadwa nkadzi uwe kati, “Ngemalebeswa towofa, ngoti tabona Ndzimu.” 23 Koga nkadzi uwe kandwa eti, “Apa Yahwe babeshaka kuti bulaya, banobebasa amutjila tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa ne tjipo tje mathunde kudwa mu maboko edu, kene kuli kutilakidza zwithu zose izwezwi kene kutibudza zwakajali.” 24 Ngono nkadzi kawana mbisana, kandana Samisoni, mbisana kakula ngono Yahwe bakankombolela. 25 Ngono Meya ya Yahwe ikatangisa shinga naye ali mu Mahanehidani pakati kwe Zora ne Eshitaole.