Genesis 23
1 Sarah lived to be 127,
And the life of Sarah came to be, a hundred and twenty-seven years, —the years of the life of Sarah.
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 died in Kiriath-arba, the same, is Hebron in the land of Canaan, —and Abraham went in to wail for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his wife's body and went to talk with the leaders of the Hittites.
And Abraham rose up from over the face of his dead, —and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying;
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.”
A sojourner and settler, am I with you, —Give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, That I may bury my dead, from before me.
5 The Hittites answered Abraham, telling him,
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him:
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.”
Hear us, my lord! A prince of God, art thou in our midst, In the choice of our buryingplaces, bury thy dead, —Not, a man from among us his, burying-place, will withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.
7 Abraham got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth;
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 spake with them, saying, —If it is with the consent of your minds that I should bury my dead from before me, hear me, and intercede for me, with Ephron 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 would give me, the cave of Machpelah, which pertaineth unto him, which is within the bounds of his field, —For full silver, let him give it me in your midst, For a possession of a buryingplace.
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 sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, —so Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham, in the ears of the sons of Heth, even all that were entering the gate of his city, 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.”
Nay, my lord, hear me, The field, have I given to thee And, the cave that is therein, to thee, have I given it, —In the eyes of the sons of my people, have I given it thee Bury thy dead.
12 Abraham bowed low before the local people,
So Abraham boweth himself down, 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 spake unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, Only if, thou, wouldst, hear me, —I have given the silver of the field Take it of me, That I may bury my dead here.
14 Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
And Ephron responded to Abraham, saying to him,
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, hear me, —Land worth four hundred shekels of silver—betwixt me and thee, what is that? And thy dead., bury thou.
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 hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver of which he had spoken in the ears of the sons of Heth, —four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant,
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 was confirmed the field of Ephron, which is in Machpelah, which is before Mamre, —the field and the cave which is therein, and all the timber which was in the field, which was in all the boundary thereof round about,
18 This all became Abraham's property, and the transaction was witnessed by the Hittites who were there at the town gate.
to Abraham as a purchase in the eyes of the sons of Heth, —with all who were entering the gate of his city.
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.
And after this, did Abraham bury Sarah his wife, within the cave of the field of Machpelah, over against Mamre, the same, 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.
So was confirmed the field with the cave which was therein to Abraham, for a possession of a buryingplace, —from the sons of Heth.
