UGenesisi 23
1 Njalo impilo kaSara yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa; yiyo iminyaka yempilo kaSara.
Sarah lived to be 127,
2 USara wasefela eKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani. UAbrahama wasesiza ukumkhalela uSara lokumlilela.
and then she died at Kiriath-arba (or Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn her death and to weep over her.
3 UAbrahama wasesukuma ebusweni bofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma kumadodana kaHethi, esithi:
Then Abraham got up from beside his wife's body and went to talk with the leaders of the Hittites.
4 Ngingowezizwe lowemzini ngilani; nginikani indawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami.
“I am a foreigner, a stranger living among you,” he said. “Please let me buy a burial site so I can bury my dead wife.”
5 Amadodana kaHethi asemphendula uAbrahama, athi kuye:
The Hittites answered Abraham, telling 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.
“Listen, my lord, you are a highly-respected prince among us. Choose the very best of our burial sites to bury your dead. None of us will say no to you.”
7 UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, kumadodana kaHethi.
Abraham got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
8 Wasekhuluma labo esithi: Uba kungentando yenu ukuthi ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari,
and said to them, “If you agree to help me bury my dead, listen to my proposal. Could you please ask Ephron, son of Zohar,
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, down at the end of his field. I'm willing to pay him the full price here in your presence so I can have my own burial site.”
10 UEfroni wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamadodana kaHethi, njalo uEfroni umHethi wamphendula uAbrahama endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, lezabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe, esithi:
Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He replied to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
11 Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti ngiyakunika, lobhalu olukuso ngiyakunika; phambi kwamehlo amadodana abantu bami ngiyakunika lona; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“No, my lord,” he said. “Please listen to me. I give you the field and the cave that is there. I give it to you and my people are my witnesses. Please go and bury your dead.”
12 UAbrahama wasekhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.
Abraham bowed low before the local people,
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 so everyone could hear, “Please listen to me. I will pay the price for the field. Take the money and let me go and bury my dead there.”
14 UEfroni wasemphendula uAbrahama esithi kuye:
Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
15 Nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti samashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane, siyini phakathi kwami lawe? Ngakho ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
“My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth four hundred pieces of silver. But what's that between us? Go and bury your dead.”
16 UAbrahama wasemlalela uEfroni; uAbrahama wasemlinganisela uEfroni isiliva ayekhulume ngaso endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa kumthengisi.
Abraham accepted Ephron's offer. Abraham weighed out and gave to Ephron the four hundred pieces of silver he'd mentioned, using the standard weights used by merchants, and with the Hittites acting as witnesses.
17 Ngakho isiqinti sikaEfroni esiseMakaphela esasiqondane leMamre, isiqinti lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezizingelezele umngcele waso, kwaqiniseka
So the property was legally transferred. It comprised Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre, both the field and the cave there, as well as all the trees in the field, and all the area up to the existing boundaries.
18 kuAbrahama kube yimpahla phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHethi phakathi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.
This all became Abraham's property, and the transaction was witnessed by the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
19 Lemva kwalokho uAbrahama wamngcwaba uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti seMakaphela maqondana leMamre, okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani.
Then Abraham went and buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (or Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwaqiniseka kuAbrahama kube yindawo yakhe yokungcwabela kuvela kumadodana kaHethi.
Ownership of the field and the cave there was transferred from the Hittites to Abraham to serve as his burial place.
