Genesis 23
1 Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years.
Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
2 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.
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 And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:
And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 “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.”
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 sons of Heth responded by saying:
And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 “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.”
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 Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth.
And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 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,
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 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.”
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 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:
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 “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.”
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 Abraham reverenced in the sight of the people of the land.
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 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.”
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 And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me.
So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 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.”
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 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.
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 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,
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 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.
Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.
19 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.
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 And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.
And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
