The Death of Sarah
1Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20 He said, 4“I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”
5The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6“Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”
10Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11“No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give23:11 Or sell you the field, and I give23:11 Or sell you the cave that is in it. I give23:11 Or sell it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16Abraham 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 weight current among the merchants.
17So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. 19Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.
Kifo Cha Sara
1Sara aliishi akawa na umri wa miaka mia na ishirini na saba. 223:2 Yos 14:15; 15:13; 20:7; 21:11; Mwa 13:18; 24:67Sara akafa huko Kiriath-Arba (yaani Hebroni) katika nchi ya Kanaani, Abrahamu akamwombolezea na kumlilia Sara.
323:3 Mwa 10:15Ndipo Abrahamu akainuka kutoka pale penye maiti ya mke wake. Akazungumza na Wahiti, akasema, 423:4 Mwa 17:8; 19:9; 49:30; Kut 2:22; Law 25:23; Za 39:12; 105:12; 119:19; Ebr 11:9-13; Mdo 7:16“Mimi ni mpitaji na mgeni miongoni mwenu. Niuzieni sehemu ya ardhi yenu ili niweze kumzika maiti wangu.”
5Wahiti wakamjibu Abrahamu, 623:6 Mwa 14:14-16; 24:35; 25:9“Bwana, tusikilize. Wewe ni mtawala mkuu sana miongoni mwetu. Zika maiti wako katika kaburi unalolipenda kati ya makaburi yetu. Hakuna mtu wa kwetu atakayekuzuia kaburi lake ili kuzika maiti wako.”
7Abrahamu akainuka na akasujudu mbele ya wenyeji wa nchi, yaani Wahiti. 8Akawaambia, “Kama mnaniruhusu kumzika maiti wangu, basi nisikilizeni mkamsihi Efroni mwana wa Sohari kwa niaba yangu 923:9 Mwa 25:9; 47:30; 49:30; 50:13ili aniuzie pango la Makpela, lililo mali yake, nalo liko mwisho wa shamba lake. Mwambieni aniuzie kwa bei kamili atakayosema ili liwe mahali pangu pa kuzikia miongoni mwenu.”
1023:10 Kum 22:15; 25:7; Yos 20:4; Rut 4:11; 2Sam 15:2; 2Fal 15:35; Za 127:5; Mit 31:23; Yer 26:10; 6:10Efroni Mhiti alikuwa ameketi miongoni mwa watu wake, akamjibu Abrahamu mbele ya Wahiti wote waliokuwepo katika lango la mji. 1123:11 2Sam 24:23“La hasha, bwana wangu, nisikilize, nakupa shamba, pia nakupa pango lililomo ndani yake. Nakupa mbele ya watu wangu. Uzike maiti wako.”
12Abrahamu akasujudu tena, mbele ya wenyeji wa nchi, 13akamwambia Efroni wale watu wakiwa wanasikia, “Tafadhali nisikilize. Nitakulipa fedha za hilo shamba. Kubali kuzipokea ili niweze kumzika maiti wangu.”
14Efroni akamjibu Abrahamu, 1523:15 Eze 45:12“Nisikilize, bwana wangu, thamani ya ardhi hiyo ni shekeli 400 za fedha,23:15 Shekeli 400 za fedha ni sawa na kilo 4.5. lakini hiyo ni nini kati yako na mimi? Mzike maiti wako.”
1623:16 2Sam 14:26; 24:24; Yer 32:9; Zek 11:12Abrahamu akakubali masharti ya Efroni, akampimia ile fedha aliyotaja masikioni mwa Wahiti: Shekeli 400 za fedha kulingana na viwango vya uzito vilivyokuwa vikitumika wakati huo na wafanyabiashara.
1723:17 Mwa 13:18Hivyo shamba la Efroni huko Makpela karibu na Mamre, yaani shamba pamoja na pango lililokuwamo, nayo miti yote iliyokuwamo ndani ya mipaka ya shamba hilo, vilikabidhiwa, 1823:18 Mwa 18:1, 7kwa Abrahamu kuwa mali yake mbele ya Wahiti wote waliokuwa wamekuja kwenye lango la mji. 1923:19 Mwa 13:18; Yos 14:13; 1Nya 29:27; 23:20; Yer 32:10; Mwa 10:15; 35:29; 49:30, 31; 50:5Baada ya hayo Abrahamu akamzika Sara mkewe kwenye pango ndani ya shamba la Makpela karibu na Mamre (huko Hebroni) katika nchi ya Kanaani. 20Hivyo Wahiti wakamkabidhi Abrahamu shamba pamoja na pango lililokuwa humo kuwa mahali pa kuzikia.
