Genesis 23

¹Ukuhamba kukaSara kwaba yiminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa; yileyo iminyaka yokuhamba kukaSara.

²USara wafela eKiriyati Araba okuyiHebroni ezweni laseKhanani; u-Abrahama wafika ukumlilela uSara nokumkhalela.

³U-Abrahama wasuka kofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma nabantwana bakwaHeti, wathi:

⁴“Ngingumfokazi nozulane phakathi kwenu; ngipheni indawo yethuna phakathi kwenu ukuba ngimmbele ofileyo wami, angabikho ebusweni bami.”

⁵Abantwana bakwaHeti baphendula u-Abrahama, bathi kuye:

⁶“Sizwe, nkosi; wena uyisikhulu sikaNkulunkulu phakathi kwethu; mmbele ofileyo wakho kwelihle kuwo onke amathuna ethu; akakho phakathi kwethu ozakugodlela wena ithuna lakhe ukuba ummbele ofileyo wakho.”

⁷U-Abrahama wayesesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelo zwe, abantwana bakwaHeti,

⁸wakhuluma nabo, wathi: “Uma kuyintando yenu ukuba ngimmbele ofileyo wami, angabikho ebusweni bami, ngizweni, ninginxusele ku-Efroni indodana kaSowari

⁹ukuba angiphe umhume waseMakaphela anawo emkhawulweni wensimu yakhe, awunike kimi ngemali efanele wona, ube yindawo yokumbela phakathi kwenu.”

¹⁰U-Efroni wayehlezi phakathi kwabantwana bakwaHeti: u-Efroni umHeti wamphendula u-Abrahama ezindlebeni zabantwana bakwaHeti phambi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe, wathi:

¹¹“Cha, nkosi; ngilalele: ngiyakunika le nsimu, nomhume okuyo ngikunika wona; ebusweni bamadodana abantu bami ngikunika wona; mmbele lapho ofileyo wakho.”

¹²U-Abrahama wakhothamela ebusweni babantu balelo zwe.

¹³Wakhuluma ku-Efroni ezindlebeni zabantu balelo zwe, wathi: “Ake ungilalele: ngizakukunika imali yensimu; yamukele kimi, ngimmbele khona ofileyo wami.”

¹⁴U-Efroni wamphendula u-Abrahama, wathi kuye:

¹⁵“Nkosi yami, ngilalele: izwe elilingene namashekeli angamakhulu amane esiliva liyini phakathi kwami nawe na? Mmbele ofileyo wakho.”

¹⁶U-Abrahama wamuzwa u-Efroni; u-Abrahama wamlinganisela u-Efroni isiliva abelishilo ezindlebeni zabantwana bakwaHeti, amashekeli angamakhulu amane esiliva, avunywa ngabathengisi.

¹⁷Kanjalo insimu ka-Efroni yaseMakaphela elingaphambi kweMamre, insimu nomhume okuyo, nemithi yonke esensimini nxazonke kuze kube semikhawulweni yonke

¹⁸kwaba yinzuzo ka-Abrahama emehlweni abantwana bakwaHeti phambi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.

¹⁹Emva kwalokho u-Abrahama wammbela uSara umkakhe emhumeni wasensimini yaseMakaphela phambi kweMamre okuyiHebroni ezweni laseKhanani.

²⁰Insimu nomhume okuyo kwase kunqunyelwa u-Abrahama ngabantwana bakwaHeti, kube yindawo yethuna.