Ebandeli 23
1 Sara awumelaki na bomoi mibu nkama moko na tuku mibale na sambo.
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 Akufaki na Kiriati-Ariba oyo ezali Ebron, na mokili ya Kanana. Abrayami asalaki matanga mpo na Sara mpe alelaki ye.
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 Abrayami alongwaki liboso ya ebembe ya mwasi na ye mpe asololaki na bato ya Iti.
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
4 Alobaki na bango: — Nazali mopaya mpe navandaka kati na bino; botekela ngai eteni ya mabele kati na bino mpo ete nakunda mwasi na ngai.
“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 Bato ya Iti bazongiselaki Abrayami:
They replied to him,
6 — Yoka biso, nkolo na ngai; ya solo, ozali moto monene kati na biso. Kunda mwasi na yo kati na kunda oyo eleki kitoko kati na bakunda na biso. Moko te kati na biso akoboya kopesa yo kunda na ye mpo ete okunda mwasi na yo.
“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 Boye, Abrayami atelemaki mpe agumbamaki liboso ya bato ya mboka wana, bato ya Iti.
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 Ayebisaki bango: — Soki ezali mokano na bino ete nakunda nzoto ya mwasi na ngai awa, boyoka ngai mpe bosengela ngai epai ya Efroni, mwana mobali ya Tsoari,
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 ete atekela ngai libulu na ye ya mabanga oyo ezali na Makipela, na suka ya elanga na ye. Boyebisa ye ete atekela ngai yango na motuya oyo ekoki na yango mpo ete nakomisa yango mabele ya kokunda bato na ngai.
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 Nzokande, Efroni, moto ya Iti, oyo azalaki kovanda kati na bato na ye, azongiselaki Abrayami na miso ya bato ya Iti, liboso ya bato nyonso oyo bayaki na ekuke ya engumba na ye:
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 — Te, nkolo na ngai, yoka ngai! Napesi yo elanga mpe libulu ya mabanga oyo ezali kati na yango. Napesi yo yango liboso ya bato na ngai mpo ete okunda mwasi na yo.
[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 Abrayami agumbamaki liboso ya bato ya mboka
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
13 mpe azongiselaki Efroni: — Nabondeli yo, yoka ngai! Soki olingi, nakopesa yo motuya oyo ekoki na elanga. Ndima yango mpo ete nakunda mwasi na ngai kuna.
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 Efroni azongiselaki Abrayami:
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 — Yoka, nkolo na ngai! Mabele ya motuya ya mbongo ya bibende, nkama minei, ezali penza nini kati na ngai mpe yo? Kamata mabele yango mpe kunda mwasi na yo.
“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 Abrayami andimaki maloba ya Efroni mpe amemelaki ye motuya oyo alobaki na miso ya bato ya Iti: mbongo ya bibende, nkama minei, kolanda ndenge bazalaki kotanga mbongo na tango wana.
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 Boye elanga ya Efroni oyo ezalaki na Makipela, pembeni ya Mamire, elongo na libulu ya mabanga oyo ezalaki kati na yango, banzete nyonso oyo ezalaki kati na elanga mpe na bandelo ya zingazinga na yango, epesamaki
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 epai ya Abrayami mpe ekomaki ya ye na miso ya bato ya Iti oyo bayaki na ekuke ya engumba.
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
19 Sima na yango, Abrayami akundaki mwasi na ye Sara na libulu ya mabanga ya elanga ya Makipela, pembeni ya Mamire oyo ezali Ebron, na mokili ya Kanana.
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 Bato ya Iti bapesaki Abrayami elanga yango elongo na libulu ya mabanga oyo ezalaki na kati mpo ete ekoma ya ye mpe akundaka bato na ye kuna.
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.
