UGenesisi 23
1 Njalo impilo kaSara yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa; yiyo iminyaka yempilo kaSara.
Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
2 USara wasefela eKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani. UAbrahama wasesiza ukumkhalela uSara lokumlilela.
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 UAbrahama wasesukuma ebusweni bofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma kumadodana kaHethi, esithi:
Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
4 Ngingowezizwe lowemzini ngilani; nginikani indawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami.
“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 Amadodana kaHethi asemphendula uAbrahama, athi kuye:
The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 Sizwe, nkosi yami! Uyisikhulu esilamandla phakathi kwethu; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho kwelihle lamangcwaba ethu; kakho phakathi kwethu ozakugodlela ingcwaba lakhe ukuthi ungamngcwabi ofileyo wakho.
“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”
7 UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, kumadodana kaHethi.
Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
8 Wasekhuluma labo esithi: Uba kungentando yenu ukuthi ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari,
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 ukuze anginike ubhalu lweMakaphela alalo, olusemngceleni wesiqinti sakhe, angiphe lona ngemali egcweleyo, lube yindawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu.
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 among you as a possession for a burial place.”
10 UEfroni wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamadodana kaHethi, njalo uEfroni umHethi wamphendula uAbrahama endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, lezabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe, esithi:
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 Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti ngiyakunika, lobhalu olukuso ngiyakunika; phambi kwamehlo amadodana abantu bami ngiyakunika lona; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“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 UAbrahama wasekhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 Wasekhuluma kuEfroni endlebeni zabantu belizwe esithi: Kodwa nxa kunguwe, ake ungilalele; ngizanika imali yesiqinti; yemukele kimi, besengingcwaba ofileyo wami khona.
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 UEfroni wasemphendula uAbrahama esithi kuye:
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 Nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti samashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane, siyini phakathi kwami lawe? Ngakho ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“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 UAbrahama wasemlalela uEfroni; uAbrahama wasemlinganisela uEfroni isiliva ayekhulume ngaso endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa kumthengisi.
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 Ngakho isiqinti sikaEfroni esiseMakaphela esasiqondane leMamre, isiqinti lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezizingelezele umngcele waso, kwaqiniseka
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 kuAbrahama kube yimpahla phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHethi phakathi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.
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 Lemva kwalokho uAbrahama wamngcwaba uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti seMakaphela maqondana leMamre, okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani.
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 Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwaqiniseka kuAbrahama kube yindawo yakhe yokungcwabela kuvela kumadodana kaHethi.
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.
