Genesis 23
1 And Sara lived a 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 Arbee which is Hebron, in the land of Chanaan: 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 after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the children of Heth, saying:
And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 I am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a burying place with you, 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 children of Heth answered, saying:
And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 My Lord, hear us, thou art a prince of God among us: bury thy dead in our principal sepulchres: and no man shall have power to hinder thee from burying thy dead in his sepulchre.
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 rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit the children of Heth:
And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 And said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor.
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 That he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of his field: for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before you, for a possession of a burying place.
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 children of Heth. And Ephron made answer to Abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of the 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 not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what I say: The field I deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein, in the presence of the children of my people, bury thy 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 bowed down before the people of the land,
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech thee to hear me: I will give 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 answered:
So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy 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 asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred sicles of silver of common current money.
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 the field that before was Ephron’s, wherein was the double cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof in all its limits round about,
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 Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth, and of all that went in 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 And so Abraham buried Sara his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre, this is Hebron in the land of Chanaan.
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 made sure to Abraham, and the cave that was in it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of Heth.
And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
