Verse 1: USamsoni wehlela eThimna; wabona owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti.
Verse 2: Wakhuphuka, wabatshela uyise nonina, wathi: “Ngibonile owesifazane eThimna wamadodakazi amaFilisti; ngalokho ngithatheleni yena abe ngumkami.”
Verse 3: Uyise nonina base bethi kuye: “Akakho yini owesifazane phakathi kwamadodakazi abafowenu noma phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bami, ukuze uye kuthatha umfazi kumaFilisti angasokile, na?” USamsoni wathi kuyise: “Ngithathele yena, ngokuba uyathandeka kimi.”
Verse 4: Kepha uyise nonina babengazi ukuthi lokho kwavela kuJehova, ngokuba wayefuna ithuba lokulwa namaFilisti. Ngaleso sikhathi amaFilisti ayebusa phezu kuka-Israyeli.
Verse 5: USamsoni wayesehla noyise nonina, baya eThimna, bafika ezivinini zaseThimna; bheka, ibhongo lengonyama lamhlangabeza libhodla.
Verse 6: UMoya kaJehova wafika phezu kwakhe ngamandla, walidwengula kungathi udwengula izinyane lembuzi, engaphethe lutho esandleni sakhe: kepha akabatshelanga uyise nonina abekwenzile.
Verse 7: Wehla, wakhuluma nowesifazane; wathandeka kuSamsoni.
Verse 8: Emva kwesikhathi wabuya ukuba amthathe, waphambuka ukuyobona isidumbu sengonyama; bheka, kwakukhona iqulo lezinyosi esidumbini sengonyama kanye noju.
Verse 9: Wazitapa ngezandla zakhe, wahamba, wahamba edla, wafika kuyise nonina, wabapha, badla nabo; kepha akabatshelanga ukuthi wayetape izinyosi esidumbini sengonyama.
Verse 10: Uyise wehla, waya kulowo wesifazane, uSamsoni wenza idili khona, ngokuba zazenze njalo izinsizwa.
Verse 11: Kwathi lapho bembona, baletha abayeni abangamashumi amathathu ukuba babe naye.
Verse 12: USamsoni wathi kubo: “Ake ngininike imfumbe; uma ningitshela yona kahle ngezinsuku eziyisikhombisa zedili, niyiqandele, ngiyakuninika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu;
Verse 13: kepha uma ningenakuyiqandela kimi, niyakunginika amayembe angamashumi amathathu nezingubo zokuphendulela ezingamashumi amathathu.” Bathi kuye: “Yisho imfumbe yakho ukuba siyizwe.”
Verse 14: Wayesethi kubo: “Kodlayo kwaphuma ukudla, konamandla kwavela okumnandi.” Babengenakuyiqandela imfumbe ngezinsuku ezintathu.
Verse 15: Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa bathi kumkaSamsoni: “Yenza umyeni wakho ukuba asichasisele imfumbe, funa sikushise wena nendlu kayihlo ngomlilo; nisimemele ukuba nisidle na? Akunjalo na?”
Verse 16: UmkaSamsoni wakhala phambi kwakhe, wathi: “Uyangizonda kuphela, awungithandi; unikile abakithi imfumbe, awungitshelanga yona.” Wathi kuye: “Bheka, angibatshelanga ubaba nomame, ngiyakukutshela wena na?”
Verse 17: Wakhala phambi kwakhe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, lisekhona idili labo; kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa wayesemtshela, ngokuba wamcindezela kakhulu; wayisho imfumbe kwabakubo.
Verse 18: Abantu bomuzi bathi kuye ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lingakashoni ilanga: “Kuyini okumnandi kunezinyosi? Kuyini okunamandla kunengonyama na?” Wathi kubo: “Uma beningalimanga ngesithokazi sami, ngabe ningayiqandelanga imfumbe yami.”
Verse 19: UMoya kaJehova wafika kuye ngamandla, wehlela e-Ashikeloni, wabulala abantu abangamashumi amathathu kubo, wathatha isambatho sabo, wabanika abayiqandele imfumbe izingubo zokuphendulela. Intukuthelo yakhe yavutha, wenyukela endlini kayise.
Verse 20: Kepha umkaSamsoni wanikwa kumngane wakhe owabe ngomunye wabayeni bakhe.