Genesis 23
1 Sarah lived to be 127,
And the life of Sarah is a hundred and twenty and seven years — 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 dieth in Kirjath-Arba, which [is] Hebron, in the land of Caanan, and Abraham goeth in to mourn for Sarah, and to bewail her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his wife's body and went to talk with the leaders of the Hittites.
And Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh 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 a settler I [am] with you; give to me a possession of a burying-place with you, and I bury my dead from before me.'
5 The Hittites answered Abraham, telling him,
And the sons of Heth answer 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 burying-places bury thy dead: none of us his burying-place doth withhold from thee, from burying thy dead.'
7 Abraham got up and bowed low before the Hittites, the local people,
And Abraham riseth and boweth himself 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 he speaketh with them, saying, 'If it is your desire to bury my dead from before me, hear me, and meet for me with Ephron, son of Zoar;
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.”
and he giveth to me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which [is] in the extremity of his field; for full money doth he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place.'
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.
And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answereth Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all those 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 I have given to thee, and the cave that [is] in it, to thee I have given it; before the eyes of the sons of my people I have given it to thee — bury thy dead.'
12 Abraham bowed low before the local people,
And Abraham boweth himself 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 speaketh unto Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, 'Only — if thou wouldest hear me — I have given the money of the field — accept from me, and I bury my dead there.'
14 Ephron replied to Abraham, telling him,
And Ephron answereth 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: the land — four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what [is] it? — thy dead bury.'
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 hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing 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.
And established are the field of Ephron, which [is] in Machpelah, which [is] before Mamre, the field and the cave which [is] in it, and all the trees which [are] in the field, which [are] in all its border 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 by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all 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 hath Abraham buried Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (which [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 established are the field, and the cave which [is] in it, to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, from the sons of Heth.
