< Genesis 23 >
1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 Hear us, my lord. Thou are a prince of God among us. Bury thy dead in our choice sepulchers. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou may bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the sons of Heth.
8 And he conversed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price in the midst of you for a possession of a burying place.
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 No, my lord, hear me. I give thee the field. And the cave that is in it, I give it to thee. I give it to thee in the presence of the sons of my people. Bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou will, I pray thee, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 My lord, hearken to me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee? Therefore bury thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver that he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about, were made sure
18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20 And the field, and the cave that is in it, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.
