< UGenesisi 23 >

1 Njalo impilo kaSara yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa; yiyo iminyaka yempilo kaSara.
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 USara wasefela eKiriyathi-Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani. UAbrahama wasesiza ukumkhalela uSara lokumlilela.
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 UAbrahama wasesukuma ebusweni bofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma kumadodana kaHethi, esithi:
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
4 Ngingowezizwe lowemzini ngilani; nginikani indawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami.
“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 Amadodana kaHethi asemphendula uAbrahama, athi kuye:
They replied 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.
“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 UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, kumadodana kaHethi.
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 Wasekhuluma labo esithi: Uba kungentando yenu ukuthi ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse phambi kwami, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari,
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 ukuze anginike ubhalu lweMakaphela alalo, olusemngceleni wesiqinti sakhe, angiphe lona ngemali egcweleyo, lube yindawo yami yokungcwabela phakathi kwenu.
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 UEfroni wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamadodana kaHethi, njalo uEfroni umHethi wamphendula uAbrahama endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, lezabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe, esithi:
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 Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti ngiyakunika, lobhalu olukuso ngiyakunika; phambi kwamehlo amadodana abantu bami ngiyakunika lona; ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.
[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 UAbrahama wasekhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
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, 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 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.
“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 UAbrahama wasemlalela uEfroni; uAbrahama wasemlinganisela uEfroni isiliva ayekhulume ngaso endlebeni zamadodana kaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa kumthengisi.
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 Ngakho isiqinti sikaEfroni esiseMakaphela esasiqondane leMamre, isiqinti lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezizingelezele umngcele waso, kwaqiniseka
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 kuAbrahama kube yimpahla phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHethi phakathi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
19 Lemva kwalokho uAbrahama wamngcwaba uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti seMakaphela maqondana leMamre, okuyiHebroni elizweni leKhanani.
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 Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwaqiniseka kuAbrahama kube yindawo yakhe yokungcwabela kuvela kumadodana kaHethi.
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.

< UGenesisi 23 >