Iminyaka Yokuphila kukaSara
USara uyafa, u-Abrahama akhale, bese exoxisana. Enikezwa umhume wokungcwaba njengesipho, uphikelela ekukhokheleni intengo ephelele phambi kofakazi. Umhlaba wokuqala aba ngumnikazi wawo ngempela ezweni lesithembiso yithuna.
23 1USara waphila iminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa; lena kwaba yiminyaka yokuphila kukaSara. 2USara wafela eKiriyathi-Arba, okuyiHebroni, ezweni laseKhanani. U-Abhrahama weza ukuzomlilela nokumkhalela. 3U-Abhrahama wasukuma eceleni kwesidumbu sakhe wathi kumaHeti: 4“Ngingowezizwe nesihambi phakathi kwenu; nginikeni indawo yokungcwaba phakathi kwenu, ukuze ngimngcwabe ofileyo wami ngimususe phambi kwamehlo ami.”
5AmaHeti aphendula u-Abhrahama. 6“Sizwe, nkosi yami: uyisikhulu sikaNkulunkulu phakathi kwethu. Ngcwaba ofileyo wakho ethuneni lethu elihle kunawo wonke; akekho kithi oyokwala ukukunika ithuna lakhe ukuze ungcwabe ofileyo wakho.” a a v6 “Isikhulu sikaNkulunkulu” kwakuyinkulumo yakudala yesiHebheru echaza umholi omkhulu ngokungavamile noma ohlonishwayo — hhayi isihloko senkolo.
7U-Abhrahama wasukuma wakhothamela phansi phambi kwabantu balelo zwe, amaHeti. 8Wathi kubo: “Uma nivuma ukuba ngingcwabe ofileyo wami ngimsuse kimi, ngizweni, nincengele mina ku-Efroni indodana kaZohari, 9ukuba anginike umhume wakhe waseMakaphela, osemngceleni wensimu yakhe. Makangithengisele wona phakathi kwenu, ngentengo egcwele, ube yindawo yokungcwaba.”
10U-Efroni umHeti, owayehlezi phakathi kwamaHeti, waphendula u-Abhrahama phambi kwawo wonke amaHeti ayengena esangweni lomuzi wakhe. b b v10 Isango lomuzi laliyindawo yomphakathi lapho kwakwenziwa khona ibhizinisi futhi kuxazululwa khona izindaba zomthetho phambi kofakazi. 11“Hhayi, nkosi yami, lalela: ngikunika insimu, ngikunika nomhume okuyo. Phambi kwabantu bakithi ngiyakunika wona. Ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.”
12U-Abhrahama waphinda wakhothama phambi kwabantu balelo zwe. 13Wathi ku-Efroni phambi kwabantu: “Uma uvuma, ngizwe: ngizoyikhokhela insimu—yamukele kimi, ukuze ngikwazi ukungcwaba ofileyo wami khona.”
14U-Efroni waphendula u-Abhrahama. 15“Nkosi yami, ngizwe: umhlaba olingana namasiliva acishe abe amaphawundi ayishumi—kuyini lokho phakathi kwethu? Ngcwaba ofileyo wakho.” c c v15 Ishekeli laliyisisindo sesiliva (esicishe sibe amagremu angu-11); amashekeli angamakhulu amane ayeyintengo yensimu yokungcwaba.
16U-Abhrahama wavuma izimiso zika-Efroni, wamlinganisela intengo ayeyishilo phambi kwamaHeti: amasiliva acishe abe amaphawundi ayishumi, ngesisindo esijwayelekile esasetshenziswa abathengisi.
17Insimu ka-Efroni eseMakaphela, ebhekene neMamre—insimu, umhume wayo, nazo zonke izihlahla ezisemingceleni yayo nxazonke—yaqinisekiswa, 18ku-Abhrahama njengempahla yakhe, phambi kwawo wonke amaHeti ayeze esangweni lomuzi wakhe. 19Emva kwalokhu, u-Abhrahama wangcwaba uSara umkakhe emhumeni wensimu yaseMakaphela, ebhekene neMamre—okuyiHebroni—ezweni laseKhanani. 20Ngakho insimu nomhume wayo kwanikezelwa ku-Abhrahama ngamaHeti njengefa lokungcwaba.
