Genesis 23
1 vixit autem Sarra centum viginti septem annis
Sarah lived to be 127,
2 et mortua est in civitate Arbee quae 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 responderuntque filii Heth
The Hittites answered Abraham, telling him,
6 audi nos domine princeps Dei es apud nos in electis sepulchris nostris sepeli mortuum tuum nullusque prohibere te 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 terrae filios videlicet Heth
Abraham got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
8 dixitque ad eos si placet animae vestrae ut sepeliam mortuum meum audite me et intercedite apud Ephron filium Soor
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 mihi eam 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 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 magis ausculta quod loquor agrum trado tibi et speluncam quae in eo est praesentibus 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 terrae
Abraham bowed low before the local people,
13 et locutus est ad Ephron circumstante plebe quaeso 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 respondit Ephron
Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
15 domine mi audi terram quam postulas quadringentis argenti siclis 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 adpendit pecuniam quam Ephron postulaverat audientibus filiis Heth quadringentos siclos argenti et probati monetae publicae
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 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 Abrahae 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 Sarram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici qui respiciebat Mambre haec 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 Abrahae 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.
