Genesis 23
1 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah.
Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham mourned and wept for Sarah.
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 rose up and went from his dead wife, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
And Abraham came from his dead and said to the children of Heth,
4 “I am a foreigner among you. Please grant me a property for a burial place among you, so 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 sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying,
And in answer the children of Heth said to Abraham,
6 “Listen to us, my master. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb, so that you may bury your dead.”
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 arose and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.
And Abraham got up and gave honour to the children of Heth, the people of that land.
8 He spoke to them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead, then hear me and plead with Ephron son of Zohar, for me.
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 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, which is at the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me publicly as a property for a burial 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 was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all those who had come into the gate of his 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 “No, my master, hear me. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you to 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 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you are willing, please hear me. I will pay for the field. Take the money from me, and I will 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 answered Abraham, saying,
So Ephron said to Abraham,
15 “Please, my master, listen to me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? 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 listened to Ephron and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the amount of silver that he had spoken in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard measurement of the merchants.
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 field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was next to Mamre, that is, the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, passed
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 to Abraham by purchase in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all those who had come into 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 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is next to Mamre, that is, 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 So the field and the cave in it passed to Abraham as a property for a burial place from the sons of Heth.
And the field and the hollow rock were handed over to Abraham as his property by the children of Heth.
