Genesis 23
1 Vixit autem Sara centum viginti septem annis.
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
2 Et mortua est in civitate Arbee, quæ est Hebron, in terra Chanaan: venitque Abraham ut plangeret, et fleret eam.
Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 Cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris, locutus est ad filios Heth, dicens:
Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
4 Advena sum et peregrinus apud vos: date mihi ius sepulchri vobiscum, ut sepeliam mortuum meum.
“I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5 Responderunt filii Heth, dicentes:
The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to 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.
“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God amongst us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”
7 Surrexit Abraham, et adoravit populum terræ, filios videlicet Heth:
Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
8 dixitque ad eos: Si placet animæ vestræ ut sepeliam mortuum meum, audite me, et intercedite pro me apud Ephron filium Seor:
He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the 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.
that he may sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me amongst you as a possession for a burial place.”
10 Habitabat autem Ephron in medio filiorum Heth. Responditque Ephron ad Abraham cunctis audientibus qui ingrediebantur portam civitatis illius, dicens:
Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
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, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
12 Adoravit Abraham coram populo terræ.
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
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.
He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 Responditque Ephron: Domine mi, audi me:
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to 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, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”
16 Quod cum audisset Abraham, appendit pecuniam, quam Ephron postulaverat, audientibus filiis Heth, quadringentos siclos argenti probatæ monetæ publicæ.
Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.
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 field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded
18 Abrahæ in possessionem, videntibus filiis Heth, et cunctis qui intrabant portam civitatis illius.
to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 Atque ita sepelivit Abraham Saram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici, quæ respiciebat Mambre. Hæc est Hebron in terra Chanaan.
After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20 Et confirmatus est ager, et antrum, quod erat in eo, Abrahæ in possessionem monumenti a filiis Heth.
The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.
