Genesis 23
1 And the life of Sarrha was an hundred and twenty-seven years.
When Sarah was 127 years old,
2 And Sarrha died in the city of Arboc, which is in the valley, this is Chebron in the land of Chanaan; and Abraam came to lament for Sarrha and to mourn.
she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
3 And Abraam stood up from before his dead; and Abraam spoke to the sons of Chet, saying,
he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
4 I am a sojourner and a stranger among you, give me therefore possession of a burying-place among you, and I will bury my dead away from me.
“I am a foreigner [DOU] living among you, [so I do not own any land here]. Sell me some land here so that I can bury my wife’s body.”
5 And the sons of Chet answered to Abraam, saying, Not so, Sir,
They replied to him,
6 but hear us; thou art in the midst of us a king from God; bury thy dead in our choice sepulchres, for not one of us will by any means withhold his sepulchre from thee, so that thou shouldest not bury thy dead there.
“Sir, you are a powerful prince among us. Choose one of our finest tombs and bury your wife’s [body] in it. None of us will refuse to sell land to you for a tomb for your relatives’ bodies.”
7 And Abraam rose up and did obeisance to the people of the land, to the sons of Chet.
Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
8 And Abraam spoke to them, saying, If ye have it in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hearken to me, and speak for me to Ephron the son Saar.
He said to them, “If you say that you are willing for me to bury my wife’s body here, listen to me, and ask Ephron, the son of Zohar for me,
9 And let him give me the double cave which he has, which is in a part of his field, let him give it me for the money it is worth for possession of a burying-place among you.
to sell to me the cave in the Machpelah area, which is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price he wants, so that I can have a burial ground among you.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Chet, and Ephron the Chettite answered Abraam and spoke in the hearing of the sons of Chet, and of all who entered the city, saying,
Ephron was sitting among the people near the city gate where many [HYP] descendants of Heth had gathered. He heard what Abraham said to them.
11 Attend to me, my lord, and hear me, I give to thee the field and the cave which is in it; I have given it thee before all my country men; bury thy dead.
[So, just to make the customary reply to start the real discussion about a price], Ephron said, “No, sir, listen to me. I will give to you the field and the cave in it, without charge, with the people here as witnesses.”
12 And Abraam did obeisance before the people of the land.
Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
13 And he said in the ears of Ephron before the people of the land, Since thou art on my side, hear me; take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead there.
and said to Ephron, as all the others were listening, “[No], listen to me. If you are willing, I will pay for the field. You tell me what the price is, and I will give it to you. If you accept it, the field will become mine, and I can bury my wife’s body there.”
14 But Ephron answered Abraam, saying,
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 Nay, my lord, I have heard indeed, the land [is worth] four hundred silver didrachms, but what can this be between me and thee? nay, do thou bury thy dead.
“Sir, listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver. But the price is not important to you and me. Give me the money and bury your wife’s body there.”
16 And Abraam hearkened to Ephron, and Abraam rendered to Ephron the money, which he mentioned in the ears of the sons of Chet, four hundred didrachms of silver approved with merchants.
Abraham agreed with Ephron about the price, and weighed for Ephron the 400 pieces of silver he had suggested, as everyone was listening, using the standard weights for silver used [in that area] by people who sold things.
17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Double Cave, which is opposite Mambre, the field and the cave, which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, and whatever is in its borders round about, were made sure in its borders round about, were made sure
So Ephron’s field in the Machpelah area, near Mamre, and the cave in the field, and all the trees that were in the field inside the boundaries of the land, became Abraham’s possession.
18 to Abraam for a possession, before the sons of Chet, and all that entered into the city.
It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
19 After this Abraam buried Sarrha his wife in the Double Cave of the field, which is opposite Mambre, this is Chebron in the land of Chanaan.
After that, Abraham buried his wife Sarah’s body in the cave in the field in the Machpelah area near Mamre, which is now called Hebron [city], in the Canaan region.
20 So the field and the cave which was in it were made sure to Abraam for possession of a burying place, by the sons of Chet.
So the field and the cave in it were officially sold to Abraham by the descendants of Heth, to be used as a burial ground.
