Genesis 23
1 Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
2 She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
And Sarah's death took place in Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan: and Abraham went into his house, weeping and sorrowing for Sarah.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 “I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
I am living among you as one from a strange country: give me some land here as my property, so that I may put my dead to rest.
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,
And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 “Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
My lord, truly you are a great chief among us; take the best of our resting-places for your dead; not one of us will keep back from you a place where you may put your dead to rest.
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
And he said to them, If you will let me put my dead to rest here, make a request for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9 to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
That he will give me the hollow in the rock named Machpelah, which is his property at the end of his field; let him give it to me for its full price as a resting-place for my dead among you.
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
Now Ephron was seated among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite gave Abraham his answer in the hearing of the children of Heth, and of all those who came into his town, saying,
11 “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
No, my lord, I will give you the field with the hollow in the rock; before all the children of my people will I give it to you for a resting-place for your dead.
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
And Abraham said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, If only you will give ear to me, I will give you the price of the field; take it, and let me put my dead to rest there.
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
My lord, give ear to me: the value of the land is four hundred shekels; what is that between me and you? so put your dead to rest there.
16 Abraham 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 standard of the merchants.
And Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.
17 So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
So Ephron's field at Machpelah near Mamre, with the hollow in the rock and all the trees in the field and round it,
18 to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.
19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Then Abraham put Sarah his wife to rest in the hollow rock in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, that is, Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
