Genesis 23
1 Vixit autem Sara centum viginti septem annis.
Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2 Et mortua est in civitate Arbee, quæ est Hebron, in terra Chanaan: venitque Abraham ut plangeret et fleret eam.
She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
3 Cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris, locutus est ad filios Heth, dicens:
Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
4 Advena sum et peregrinus apud vos: date mihi jus sepulchri vobiscum, ut sepeliam mortuum meum.
“I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5 Responderunt filii Heth, dicentes:
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 Audi nos, domine: princeps Dei es apud nos: in electis sepulchris nostris sepeli mortuum tuum, nullusque te prohibere poterit quin in monumento ejus sepelias mortuum tuum.
“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 Surrexit Abraham, et adoravit populum terræ, filios videlicet Heth:
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 dixitque ad eos: Si placet animæ vestræ ut sepeliam mortuum meum, audite me, et intercedite pro me apud Ephron filium Seor:
“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
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; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
10 Habitabat autem Ephron in medio filiorum Heth. Responditque Ephron ad Abraham, cunctis audientibus qui ingrediebantur portam civitatis illius, dicens:
Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
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. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Adoravit Abraham coram populo terræ.
Again Abraham bowed 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.
and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14 Responditque Ephron:
Ephron answered Abraham,
15 Domine mi, audi me: terra, quam postulas, quadringentis siclis argenti valet: istud est pretium inter me et te: sed quantum est hoc? sepeli mortuum tuum.
“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 Quod cum audisset Abraham, appendit pecuniam, quam Ephron postulaverat, audientibus filiis Heth, quadringentos siclos argenti probatæ monetæ publicæ.
Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
17 Confirmatusque est ager quondam Ephronis, in quo erat spelunca duplex, respiciens Mambre, tam ipse, quam spelunca, et omnes arbores ejus in cunctis terminis ejus per circuitum,
So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
18 Abrahæ in possessionem, videntibus filiis Heth, et cunctis qui intrabant portam civitatis illius.
to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to 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 his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near 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.
So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
