創世記 23
1 撒拉享壽一百二十七歲，這是撒拉一生的歲數。
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 撒拉死在迦南地的基列‧亞巴，就是希伯崙。亞伯拉罕為她哀慟哭號。
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 後來亞伯拉罕從死人面前起來，對赫人說：
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
4 「我在你們中間是外人，是寄居的。求你們在這裏給我一塊地，我好埋葬我的死人，使她不在我眼前。」
“I am a foreigner [DOU] living among you, [so I do not own any land here]. Sell me some land here so that I can bury my wife’s body.”
5 赫人回答亞伯拉罕說：
They replied to him,
6 「我主請聽。你在我們中間是一位尊大的王子，只管在我們最好的墳地裏埋葬你的死人；我們沒有一人不容你在他的墳地裏埋葬你的死人。」
“Sir, you are a powerful prince among us. Choose one of our finest tombs and bury your wife’s [body] in it. None of us will refuse to sell land to you for a tomb for your relatives’ bodies.”
7 亞伯拉罕就起來，向那地的赫人下拜，
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 對他們說：「你們若有意叫我埋葬我的死人，使她不在我眼前，就請聽我的話，為我求瑣轄的兒子以弗崙，
He said to them, “If you say that you are willing for me to bury my wife’s body here, listen to me, and ask Ephron, the son of Zohar for me,
9 把田頭上那麥比拉洞給我，他可以按着足價賣給我，作我在你們中間的墳地。」
to sell to me the cave in the Machpelah area, which is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price he wants, so that I can have a burial ground among you.”
10 當時以弗崙正坐在赫人中間。於是，赫人以弗崙在城門出入的赫人面前對亞伯拉罕說：
Ephron was sitting among the people near the city gate where many [HYP] descendants of Heth had gathered. He heard what Abraham said to them.
11 「不然，我主請聽。我送給你這塊田，連田間的洞也送給你，在我同族的人面前都給你，可以埋葬你的死人。」
[So, just to make the customary reply to start the real discussion about a price], Ephron said, “No, sir, listen to me. I will give to you the field and the cave in it, without charge, with the people here as witnesses.”
12 亞伯拉罕就在那地的人民面前下拜，
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
13 在他們面前對以弗崙說：「你若應允，請聽我的話。我要把田價給你，求你收下，我就在那裏埋葬我的死人。」
and said to Ephron, as all the others were listening, “[No], listen to me. If you are willing, I will pay for the field. You tell me what the price is, and I will give it to you. If you accept it, the field will become mine, and I can bury my wife’s body there.”
14 以弗崙回答亞伯拉罕說：
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 「我主請聽。值四百舍客勒銀子的一塊田，在你我中間還算甚麼呢？只管埋葬你的死人吧！」
“Sir, listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver. But the price is not important to you and me. Give me the money and bury your wife’s body there.”
16 亞伯拉罕聽從了以弗崙，照着他在赫人面前所說的話，把買賣通用的銀子平了四百舍客勒給以弗崙。
Abraham agreed with Ephron about the price, and weighed for Ephron the 400 pieces of silver he had suggested, as everyone was listening, using the standard weights for silver used [in that area] by people who sold things.
17 於是，麥比拉、幔利前、以弗崙的那塊田和其中的洞，並田間四圍的樹木，
So Ephron’s field in the Machpelah area, near Mamre, and the cave in the field, and all the trees that were in the field inside the boundaries of the land, became Abraham’s possession.
18 都定準歸與亞伯拉罕，乃是他在赫人面前並城門出入的人面前買妥的。
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
19 此後，亞伯拉罕把他妻子撒拉埋葬在迦南地幔利前的麥比拉田間的洞裏。（幔利就是希伯崙）。
After that, Abraham buried his wife Sarah’s body in the cave in the field in the Machpelah area near Mamre, which is now called Hebron [city], in the Canaan region.
20 從此，那塊田和田間的洞就藉着赫人定準歸與亞伯拉罕作墳地。
So the field and the cave in it were officially sold to Abraham by the descendants of Heth, to be used as a burial ground.
