Mwanzo 23
1 Sara akaishi mika mia moja na ishirini na saba. Hii ndiyo ilikuwa ni miaka ya maisha ya Sara.
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 Sara akafa katika Kiriathi Arba, ambayo ni Hebroni, katika nchi ya Kanaani. Abraham akaomboleza na kumlilia Sara.
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 Kisha Abraham akainuka na kutoka kwa mkewe aliye kufa, akanena na watoto wa kiume wa Hethi, akisema,
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants 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 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 Wana wa Hethi wakamjibu Abraham, wakasema,
They replied 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.”
“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 Abraham akainuka na kusujudu chini kwa watu wa nchi ile, kwa wana wa Hethi.
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 Akawaambia, akisema, “ikiwa mmekubali mimi kuzika wafu wangu, ndipo nisikilizeni, msihini Efroni mwana wa Sohari kwa ajili yangu.
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 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.”
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 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,
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 “Hapana, bwana wangu, nisikilize. Ninakupatia shamba na pango ambalo limo ndani yake. Ninakupatia mbele ya wana wa watu wangu. Ninakupatia uzike wafu wako.”
[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 Kisha Abraham akasujudu chini mbele ya watu wa nchi ile.
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
13 Akamwambia Efroni watu wa nchi ile wakisikiliza, akasema, ikiwa uko radhi, tafadhari nisikilize. Nitalipia shamba. Chukua fedha kwangu, na nitazika wafu wangu pale.”
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 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.”
“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 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 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 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 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 kwa Abraham kwa njia ya manunuzi mbele ya wana wa Hethi, na mbele ya wote waliokuja malangoni pa mji wake.
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
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 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 Kwa hiyo shamba pamoja na pango likatolewa na wana wa Hethi kwa Abraham kama milki na eneo la kuzikia.
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.
