Genesis 23
1 When Sarah was 127 years old,
Njalo impilo kaSara yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa; yiyo iminyaka yempilo kaSara.
2 she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
USara wasefela eKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani. UAbrahama wasesiza ukumkhalela uSara lokumlilela.
3 he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
UAbrahama wasesukuma ebusweni bofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma kumadodana kaHethi, esithi:
4 “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.”
Ngingowezizwe lowemzini ngilani; nginikani indawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami.
5 They replied to him,
Amadodana kaHethi asemphendula uAbrahama, athi kuye:
6 “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.”
Sizwe, nkosi yami! Uyisikhulu esilamandla phakathi kwethu; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho kwelihle lamangcwaba ethu; kakho phakathi kwethu ozakugodlela ingcwaba lakhe ukuthi ungamngcwabi ofileyo wakho.
7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, kumadodana kaHethi.
8 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,
Wasekhuluma labo esithi: Uba kungentando yenu ukuthi ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari,
9 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.”
ukuze anginike ubhalu lweMakaphela alalo, olusemngceleni wesiqinti sakhe, angiphe lona ngemali egcweleyo, lube yindawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu.
10 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.
UEfroni wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamadodana kaHethi, njalo uEfroni umHethi wamphendula uAbrahama endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, lezabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe, esithi:
11 [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.”
Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti ngiyakunika, lobhalu olukuso ngiyakunika; phambi kwamehlo amadodana abantu bami ngiyakunika lona; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
12 Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
UAbrahama wasekhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.
13 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.”
Wasekhuluma kuEfroni endlebeni zabantu belizwe esithi: Kodwa nxa kunguwe, ake ungilalele; ngizanika imali yesiqinti; yemukele kimi, besengingcwaba ofileyo wami khona.
14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
UEfroni wasemphendula uAbrahama esithi kuye:
15 “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.”
Nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti samashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane, siyini phakathi kwami lawe? Ngakho ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
16 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.
UAbrahama wasemlalela uEfroni; uAbrahama wasemlinganisela uEfroni isiliva ayekhulume ngaso endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa kumthengisi.
17 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.
Ngakho isiqinti sikaEfroni esiseMakaphela esasiqondane leMamre, isiqinti lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezizingelezele umngcele waso, kwaqiniseka
18 It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
kuAbrahama kube yimpahla phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHethi phakathi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.
19 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.
Lemva kwalokho uAbrahama wamngcwaba uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti seMakaphela maqondana leMamre, okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani.
20 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.
Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwaqiniseka kuAbrahama kube yindawo yakhe yokungcwabela kuvela kumadodana kaHethi.
