Genesis 23
1 Sarah lived to be 127,
Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
2 and then she died at Kiriath-arba (or Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn her death and to weep over 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 Then Abraham got up from beside his wife's body and went to talk with the leaders of the Hittites.
And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 “I am a foreigner, a stranger living among you,” he said. “Please let me buy a burial site so I can bury my dead wife.”
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 Hittites answered Abraham, telling him,
And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 “Listen, my lord, you are a highly-respected prince among us. Choose the very best of our burial sites to bury your dead. None of us will say no to you.”
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 got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 and said to them, “If you agree to help me bury my dead, listen to my proposal. Could you please ask Ephron, 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 to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, down at the end of his field. I'm willing to pay him the full price here in your presence so I can have my own burial site.”
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 Ephron the Hittite was sitting there among his people. He replied to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
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 “No, my lord,” he said. “Please listen to me. I give you the field and the cave that is there. I give it to you and my people are my witnesses. Please go and 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 bowed low before the local people,
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 and said to Ephron so everyone could hear, “Please listen to me. I will pay the price for the field. Take the money and let me go and bury my dead there.”
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 Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 “My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth four hundred pieces of silver. But what's that between us? Go and 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 Abraham accepted Ephron's offer. Abraham weighed out and gave to Ephron the four hundred pieces of silver he'd mentioned, using the standard weights used by merchants, and with the Hittites acting as witnesses.
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 So the property was legally transferred. It comprised Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre, both the field and the cave there, as well as all the trees in the field, and all the area up to the existing boundaries.
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 This all became Abraham's property, and the transaction was witnessed by the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
Became the property of Abraham before the eyes of the children of Heth and of all who came into the town.
19 Then Abraham went and buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (or 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 Ownership of the field and the cave there was transferred from the Hittites to Abraham to serve as his burial place.
And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
