Genesis 23
1 vixit autem Sarra centum viginti septem annis
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 et mortua est in civitate Arbee quae est Hebron in terra Chanaan venitque Abraham ut plangeret et fleret eam
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 cumque surrexisset ab officio funeris locutus est ad filios Heth dicens
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
4 advena sum et peregrinus apud vos date mihi ius sepulchri vobiscum ut sepeliam mortuum meum
“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.”
5 responderuntque filii Heth
They replied to 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
“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.”
7 surrexit Abraham et adoravit populum terrae filios videlicet Heth
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 dixitque ad eos si placet animae vestrae ut sepeliam mortuum meum audite me et intercedite apud Ephron filium Soor
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,
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 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.”
10 habitabat autem Ephron in medio filiorum Heth responditque ad Abraham cunctis audientibus qui ingrediebantur portam civitatis illius dicens
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.
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
[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.”
12 adoravit Abraham coram populo terrae
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
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, 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.”
14 respondit Ephron
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to 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
“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.”
16 quod cum audisset Abraham adpendit pecuniam quam Ephron postulaverat audientibus filiis Heth quadringentos siclos argenti et probati monetae publicae
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.
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 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.
18 Abrahae in possessionem videntibus filiis Heth et cunctis qui intrabant portam civitatis illius
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
19 atque ita sepelivit Abraham Sarram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici qui respiciebat Mambre haec est Hebron in terra Chanaan
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.
20 et confirmatus est ager et antrum quod erat in eo Abrahae in possessionem monumenti a filiis Heth
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.
