Genesis 23
1 vixit autem Sarra 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 quae 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 responderuntque filii Heth
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 prohibere te 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 terrae 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 animae vestrae ut sepeliam mortuum meum audite me et intercedite apud Ephron filium Soor
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 mihi eam 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 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 magis ausculta quod loquor agrum trado tibi et speluncam quae in eo est praesentibus 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 terrae
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
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
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 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
“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 adpendit pecuniam quam Ephron postulaverat audientibus filiis Heth quadringentos siclos argenti et probati monetae publicae
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 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 Abrahae 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 Sarram uxorem suam in spelunca agri duplici qui respiciebat Mambre haec 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 Abrahae 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.
