Mwanzo 23
1 Sara akaishi mika mia moja na ishirini na saba. Hii ndiyo ilikuwa ni miaka ya maisha ya Sara.
Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
2 Sara akafa katika Kiriathi Arba, ambayo ni Hebroni, katika nchi ya Kanaani. Abraham akaomboleza na kumlilia Sara.
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 Kisha Abraham akainuka na kutoka kwa mkewe aliye kufa, akanena na watoto wa kiume wa Hethi, akisema,
Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
4 “Mimi ni mgeni kati yenu. Tafadhari nipatieni mahali pa kuzikia miongoni mwenu, ili kwamba niweze kuzika wafu wangu.”
“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 Wana wa Hethi wakamjibu Abraham, wakasema,
The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 “Tusikilize, bwana wangu. Wewe ni mwana wa Mungu miongoni mwetu. Zika wafu wako katika makaburi yetu utakayochagua. Hakuna miongoni mwetu atakaye kuzuilia kaburi lake, kwa ajili ya kuzikia wafu wako.”
“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 Abraham akainuka na kusujudu chini kwa watu wa nchi ile, kwa wana wa Hethi.
Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
8 Akawaambia, akisema, “ikiwa mmekubali mimi kuzika wafu wangu, ndipo nisikilizeni, msihini Efroni mwana wa Sohari kwa ajili yangu.
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 Mwambieni aniuzie pango la Makpela, ambalo analimiliki, ambalo liko mwishoni mwa shamba lake. Kwa bei kamili aniuzie waziwazi mbele ya watu kama miliki ya kuzikia.”
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 Efroni alikuwa ameketi miongoni mwa wana wa Hethi, hivyo Efroni Mhiti akamjibu Abraham alipowasikia wana wa Hethi, wote ambao walikuwa wamekuja langoni mwa mji wake, akasema,
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 “Hapana, bwana wangu, nisikilize. Ninakupatia shamba na pango ambalo limo ndani yake. Ninakupatia mbele ya wana wa watu wangu. Ninakupatia uzike wafu wako.”
“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 Kisha Abraham akasujudu chini mbele ya watu wa nchi ile.
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 Akamwambia Efroni watu wa nchi ile wakisikiliza, akasema, ikiwa uko radhi, tafadhari nisikilize. Nitalipia shamba. Chukua fedha kwangu, na nitazika wafu wangu pale.”
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 Efroni akamjibu Abraham, akisema,
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 “Tafadhari bwana wangu, nisikilize. Kipande cha ardhi kinathamani ya shekeli mia nne za fedha, na hiyo ni kitu gani kati yangu mimi na wewe? wazike wafu wako.”
“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 Abraham akamsikiliza Efroni na akampimia Efroni kiwango cha fedha alizosema mbele ya wana wa Helthi wakisikiliza, shekeli mia nne za fedha, kwa mujibu wa viwango vya vipimo vya kibiashara.
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 Kwa hiyo shamba la Efroni, lililokuwa katika Makpela, mbele ya Mamre, shamba pamoja na pango lililokuwamo ndani yake na miti yote iliyokuwamo ndani ya shamba na iliyokuwa mpakani ikatolewa
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 kwa Abraham kwa njia ya manunuzi mbele ya wana wa Hethi, na mbele ya wote waliokuja malangoni pa mji wake.
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 Baada ya haya, Abraham akamzika Sara mkewe katika pango la shamba la Makpela, lililo mbele ya Mamre, ambayo ni Hebroni, katika nchi ya Kanaani.
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 Kwa hiyo shamba pamoja na pango likatolewa na wana wa Hethi kwa Abraham kama milki na eneo la kuzikia.
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.
