Genesis 23
1 Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years.
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 she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:
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 a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,
The sons of Heth responded by saying:
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.”
“Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.”
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth.
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 it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with 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.”
so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.”
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 dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, 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.”
“Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.”
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
Abraham reverenced in the sight of 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 he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: “I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me.
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.”
The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.”
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 when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency.
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
And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits,
18 to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city.
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.
So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This 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 was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.
