Genesis 23
1 Vixit autem Sara centum viginti septem annis.
Sarah lived to be 127,
2 Et mortua est in civitate Arbee, quæ est Hebron, in terra Chanaan: venitque Abraham ut plangeret, et fleret eam.
and then she died at Kiriath-arba (or Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn her death and to weep over her.
3 Cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris, locutus est ad filios Heth, dicens:
Then Abraham got up from beside his wife's body and went to talk with the leaders of the Hittites.
4 Advena sum et peregrinus apud vos: date mihi ius sepulchri vobiscum, ut sepeliam mortuum meum.
“I am a foreigner, a stranger living among you,” he said. “Please let me buy a burial site so I can bury my dead wife.”
5 Responderunt filii Heth, dicentes:
The Hittites answered Abraham, telling him,
6 Audi nos domine, princeps Dei es apud nos: in electis sepulchris nostris sepeli mortuum tuum: nullusque te prohibere poterit quin in monumento eius sepelias mortuum tuum.
“Listen, my lord, you are a highly-respected prince among us. Choose the very best of our burial sites to bury your dead. None of us will say no to you.”
7 Surrexit Abraham, et adoravit populum terræ, filios videlicet Heth:
Abraham got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
8 dixitque ad eos: Si placet animæ vestræ ut sepeliam mortuum meum, audite me, et intercedite pro me apud Ephron filium Seor:
and said to them, “If you agree to help me bury my dead, listen to my proposal. Could you please ask Ephron, son of Zohar,
9 ut det mihi speluncam duplicem, quam habet in extrema parte agri sui: pecunia digna tradat eam mihi coram vobis in possessionem sepulchri.
to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, down at the end of his field. I'm willing to pay him the full price here in your presence so I can have my own burial site.”
10 Habitabat autem Ephron in medio filiorum Heth. Responditque Ephron ad Abraham cunctis audientibus qui ingrediebantur portam civitatis illius, dicens:
Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He replied to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
11 Nequaquam ita fiat, domine mi, sed tu magis ausculta quod loquor: Agrum trado tibi, et speluncam, quæ in eo est, præsentibus filiis populi mei, sepeli mortuum tuum.
“No, my lord,” he said. “Please listen to me. I give you the field and the cave that is there. I give it to you and my people are my witnesses. Please go and bury your dead.”
12 Adoravit Abraham coram populo terræ.
Abraham bowed low before the local people,
13 Et locutus est ad Ephron circumstante plebe: Quæso, ut audias me: Dabo pecuniam pro agro: suscipe eam, et sic sepeliam mortuum meum in eo.
and said to Ephron so everyone could hear, “Please listen to me. I will pay the price for the field. Take the money and let me go and bury my dead there.”
14 Responditque Ephron: Domine mi, audi me:
Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
15 Terra, quam postulas, quadringentis siclis argenti valet: istud est pretium inter me et te: sed quantum est hoc? sepeli mortuum tuum.
“My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth four hundred pieces of silver. But what's that between us? Go and bury your dead.”
16 Quod cum audisset Abraham, appendit pecuniam, quam Ephron postulaverat, audientibus filiis Heth, quadringentos siclos argenti probatæ monetæ publicæ.
Abraham accepted Ephron's offer. Abraham weighed out and gave to Ephron the four hundred pieces of silver he'd mentioned, using the standard weights used by merchants, and with the Hittites acting as witnesses.
17 Confirmatusque est ager quondam Ephronis, in quo erat spelunca duplex, respiciens Mambre, tam ipse, quam spelunca, et omnes arbores eius in cunctis terminis eius per circuitum,
So the property was legally transferred. It comprised Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre, both the field and the cave there, as well as all the trees in the field, and all the area up to the existing boundaries.
18 Abrahæ in possessionem, videntibus filiis Heth, et cunctis qui intrabant portam civitatis illius.
This all became Abraham's property, and the transaction was witnessed by the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
19 Atque ita sepelivit Abraham Saram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici, quæ respiciebat Mambre. Hæc est Hebron in terra Chanaan.
Then Abraham went and buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (or Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 Et confirmatus est ager, et antrum, quod erat in eo, Abrahæ in possessionem monumenti a filiis Heth.
Ownership of the field and the cave there was transferred from the Hittites to Abraham to serve as his burial place.
