Genesis 23
1 Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
And the lifetime of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years; [these] were the years of the life of Sarah.
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 died in Kiryath-arba, the same in Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto 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.”
A stranger and a sojourner I am with you; give me a possession for a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him:
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, my lord; a prince of God thou art among us; in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, so that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children 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 spoke with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zochar,
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 may give me the cave of Machpelah, which is his, which is at the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me, for a possession as a burying-place amongst 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,
And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, and of all those that went in 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.”
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I give to thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it to thee; in the presence of the sons of my people do I give it to thee; bury thy dead.
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
And Abraham bowed himself down 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 he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wouldst only hear me; I will give the money for the field, take it off me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
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, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee? only bury thy 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 Abraham understood the meaning of Ephron; and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
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 the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its borders round about, were made sure
18 to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
Unto Abraham for a bought possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in 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.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre, which 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, with the cave that is therein, was made sure unto Abraham for a possession as a burying-place by the sons of Heth.
