Genesis 23
1 Forsothe Sare lyuede an hundrid and seuene and twenti yeer,
Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.
2 and diede in the citee of Arbee, which is Ebron, in the lond of Chanaan; and Abraham cam to biweyle and biwepe hir.
Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And whanne he hadde rise fro the office of the deed bodi, he spak to the sones of Heth, and seide,
Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,
4 Y am a comelyng and a pilgrym anentis you; yyue ye to me riyt of sepulcre with you, that Y birie my deed body.
“I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5 And the sones of Heth answeriden, and seiden, Lord, here thou vs;
The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6 thou art the prince of God anentis vs; birie thou thi deed bodi in oure chosun sepulcris, and no man schal mow forbede thee, that ne thou birie thi deed bodi in the sepulcre of him.
“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”
7 And Abraham roos, and worschipide the puple of the lond, that is, the sones of Heth.
Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
8 And he seide to hem, If it plesith youre soule that Y birie my deed bodi, here ye me, and preie ye for me to Efron, the sone of Seor,
He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9 that he yyue to me the double caue, whiche he hath in the vttirmoste part of his feeld; for sufficiaunt money yyue he it to me bifore you into possessioun of sepulcre.
that he may sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me among you as a possession for a burial place.”
10 Forsothe Efron dwellide in the myddis of the sones of Heth. And Efron answerde to Abraham, while alle men herden that entriden bi the yate of that citee,
Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 and seide, My lord, it schal not be doon so, but more herkne thou that that Y seie; Y yyue to thee the feeld, and the denne which is therine, while the sones of my puple ben present; birie thou thi deed bodi.
“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham worschipide bifor the Lord, and bifor the puple of the lond,
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 and he spak to Efron, while his puple stood aboute, Y biseche, that thou here me; Y schal yyue money for the feeld, resseyue thou it, and so Y schal birie my deed bodi in the feeld.
He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 And Efron answerde, My lord,
Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15 here thou me, the lond which thou axist is worth foure hundrid siclis of siluer, that is the prijs bitwixe me and thee, but hou myche is this? birie thou thi deed bodi.
“My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”
16 And whanne Abraham hadde herd this, he noumbride the monei which Efron axide, while the sones of Heth herden, foure hundrid siclis of siluer, and of preuyd comyn monei.
Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.
17 And the feeld that was sumtyme of Efron, in which feeld was a double denne, biholdinge to Mambre, as wel thilke feeld as the denne and alle the trees therof, in alle termes therof bi cumpas, was confermed to Abraham in to possessioun,
So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded
18 while the sones of Heth seiyen and alle men that entriden bi the yate of that citee.
to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 And so Abraham biriede Sare, his wijf, in the double denne of the feeld, that bihelde to Mambre; this is Ebron in the lond of Chanaan.
After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20 And the feeld, and the denne that was therynne, was confermyd of the sones of Heth to Abraham, in to possessioun of sepulcre.
The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.
