UGenesisi 23 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukufa kukaSara; uAbrahama uthenga iliba

¹ Ukuhamba kukaSara kwaba yiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa.

² USara wafela eKiriyathi‐Arba okuyiHebroni elizweni laseKanani. UAbrahama wamlilela uSara wamkhalela.

³ UAbrahama wasuka kofileyo wakhe, wakhuluma labantwana bakaHethi,

⁴ wathi: Ngihlezi lani ngingowezizwe lomfokazi; nginikeni indawo phakathi kwenu yokuba ngimmbele ofileyo wami kuyo.

⁵ Abantwana bakaHethi bamphendula uAbrahama, bathi kuye:

⁶ Nkosi, sizwe! Uyisikhulu esilamandla phakathi kwethu; mbela ofileyo wakho kwelihle kuwo wonke amaliba ethu; kakho phakathi kwethu ozakwala ukukunika iliba lakhe ukuba ummbele ofileyo wakho.

⁷ UAbrahama wasesukuma, wakhothamela abantu balelolizwe, abangabantwana bakaHethi.

⁸ Wakhulumisana labo wathi: Uba kuyintando yenu ukuba ngimmbele ofileyo wami lapha, ngizweni, lingincengele kuEfroni indodana kaZohari

⁹ ukuze anginike ubhalu lwakhe lwaseMakaphela, olusemngceleni wesiqinti sakhe, angithengisele lona ngemali elulingeneyo, lube yindawo yami yokumbela phakathi kwenu.

¹⁰ UEfroni wayehlezi phakathi kwabantwana bakaHethi, wamphendula uAbrahama phambi kwabantwana bakaHethi, laphambi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe,

¹¹ wathi: Atshi, nkosi, ngizwe; ngiyakunika isiqinti, ngikunike lobhalu olukuso; ngiyakunika lona phambi kwamadodana abantu bami; mbela lapho ofileyo wakho.

¹² UAbrahama wakhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelolizwe.

¹³ Wakhuluma loEfroni phambi kwabantu belizwe esithi: Kodwa ngilalela; ngizakukunika imali yesiqinti; yamukele kimi, ngimbele ofileyo wami khona.

¹⁴ UEfroni wamphendula uAbrahama esithi kuye:

¹⁵ Nkosi yami, ngizwe; isiqinti esilingene amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane siyini phakathi kwami lawe na? Ngakho mbela ofileyo wakho.

¹⁶ UAbrahama wamlalela uEfroni, wamnika imali yesiliva ayeyibizile phambi kwabantwana bakaHethi, amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu amane avunywa ngabathengisi.

¹⁷ Ngakhoke isiqinti sikaEfroni saseMakaphela esiseduze leMamre, lobhalu olukuso, lazo zonke izihlahla ezisesiqintini lezisemngceleni waso,

¹⁸ kwaba yimpahla kaAbrahama phambi kwabantwana bakaHethi laphambi kwabo bonke abangena esangweni lomuzi wakhe.

¹⁹ Emva kwalokho uAbrahama wammbela uSara umkakhe obhalwini lwesiqinti saseMakaphela esiseduze leMamre okuyiHebroni elizweni laseKanani.

²⁰ Isiqinti lobhalu olukuso kwanikwa uAbrahama ngabantwana bakaHethi kube yindawo yokungcwabela.