Genesis 23
1 When Sarah was 127 years old,
And Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
2 she died at Kiriath-Arba [town], which is now called Hebron, in the Canaan region. After Abraham mourned for her,
And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same [is] Hebron in the land of Canaan: And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 he left the body of his wife and [went and] spoke to some of the descendants of Heth, saying,
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4 “I am a foreigner [DOU] living among you, [so I do not own any land here]. Sell me some land here so that I can bury my wife’s body.”
I [am] a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 They replied to him,
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 “Sir, you are a powerful prince among us. Choose one of our finest tombs and bury your wife’s [body] in it. None of us will refuse to sell land to you for a tomb for your relatives’ bodies.”
Hear us, my lord; thou [art] a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury thy dead: none of us will withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed [in respect] in front of the people who owned the land, the descendants of Heth.
And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
8 He said to them, “If you say that you are willing for me to bury my wife’s body here, listen to me, and ask Ephron, the son of Zohar for me,
And he communed with them, saying, If it is your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 to sell to me the cave in the Machpelah area, which is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price he wants, so that I can have a burial ground among you.”
That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which [is] in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me, for a possession of a burying-place among you.
10 Ephron was sitting among the people near the city gate where many [HYP] descendants of Heth had gathered. He heard what Abraham said to them.
And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, of all that entered the gates of his city, saying,
11 [So, just to make the customary reply to start the real discussion about a price], Ephron said, “No, sir, listen to me. I will give to you the field and the cave in it, without charge, with the people here as witnesses.”
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I to thee, and the cave that [is] in it, I give it to thee; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to thee: bury thy dead.
12 Abraham again bowed before the people who lived in the area,
And Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land.
13 and said to Ephron, as all the others were listening, “[No], listen to me. If you are willing, I will pay for the field. You tell me what the price is, and I will give it to you. If you accept it, the field will become mine, and I can bury my wife’s body there.”
And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou [wilt give it], I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field: take [it] of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 “Sir, listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver. But the price is not important to you and me. Give me the money and bury your wife’s body there.”
My lord, hearken to me: the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what [is] that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 Abraham agreed with Ephron about the price, and weighed for Ephron the 400 pieces of silver he had suggested, as everyone was listening, using the standard weights for silver used [in that area] by people who sold things.
And Abraham hearkened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
17 So Ephron’s field in the Machpelah area, near Mamre, and the cave in the field, and all the trees that were in the field inside the boundaries of the land, became Abraham’s possession.
And the field of Ephron, which [was] in Machpelah, which [was] before Mamre, the field and the cave which [was] in it, and all the trees that [were] in the field, that [were] in all the borders round about, were made sure
18 It became Abraham’s property as all the descendants of Heth were listening there at the city gate.
To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that entered the gate of his city.
19 After that, Abraham buried his wife Sarah’s body in the cave in the field in the Machpelah area near Mamre, which is now called Hebron [city], in the Canaan region.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre: the same [is] Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 So the field and the cave in it were officially sold to Abraham by the descendants of Heth, to be used as a burial ground.
And the field, and the cave that [is] in it were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, by the sons of Heth.
