UGenesisi 23
1 Njalo impilo kaSara yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa; yiyo iminyaka yempilo kaSara.
Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2 USara wasefela eKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani. UAbrahama wasesiza ukumkhalela uSara lokumlilela.
She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
3 UAbrahama wasesukuma ebusweni bofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma kumadodana kaHethi, esithi:
Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
4 Ngingowezizwe lowemzini ngilani; nginikani indawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami.
“I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5 Amadodana kaHethi asemphendula uAbrahama, athi kuye:
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 Sizwe, nkosi yami! Uyisikhulu esilamandla phakathi kwethu; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho kwelihle lamangcwaba ethu; kakho phakathi kwethu ozakugodlela ingcwaba lakhe ukuthi ungamngcwabi ofileyo wakho.
“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, kumadodana kaHethi.
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 Wasekhuluma labo esithi: Uba kungentando yenu ukuthi ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari,
“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
9 ukuze anginike ubhalu lweMakaphela alalo, olusemngceleni wesiqinti sakhe, angiphe lona ngemali egcweleyo, lube yindawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu.
to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
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 among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
11 Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti ngiyakunika, lobhalu olukuso ngiyakunika; phambi kwamehlo amadodana abantu bami ngiyakunika lona; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 UAbrahama wasekhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.
Again Abraham bowed 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.
and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14 UEfroni wasemphendula uAbrahama esithi kuye:
Ephron answered Abraham,
15 Nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti samashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane, siyini phakathi kwami lawe? Ngakho ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 UAbrahama wasemlalela uEfroni; uAbrahama wasemlinganisela uEfroni isiliva ayekhulume ngaso endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa kumthengisi.
Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
17 Ngakho isiqinti sikaEfroni esiseMakaphela esasiqondane leMamre, isiqinti lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezizingelezele umngcele waso, kwaqiniseka
So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
18 kuAbrahama kube yimpahla phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHethi phakathi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.
to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
19 Lemva kwalokho uAbrahama wamngcwaba uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti seMakaphela maqondana leMamre, okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani.
After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwaqiniseka kuAbrahama kube yindawo yakhe yokungcwabela kuvela kumadodana kaHethi.
So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
