Genesis 23
1 Forsothe Sare lyuede an hundrid and seuene and twenti yeer,
Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2 and diede in the citee of Arbee, which is Ebron, in the lond of Chanaan; and Abraham cam to biweyle and biwepe hir.
She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn 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,
Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
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 foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5 And the sones of Heth answeriden, and seiden, Lord, here thou vs;
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
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.
“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 And Abraham roos, and worschipide the puple of the lond, that is, the sones of Heth.
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
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,
“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
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.
to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
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 among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
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. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham worschipide bifor the Lord, and bifor the puple of the lond,
Again Abraham bowed 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.
and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14 And Efron answerde, My lord,
Ephron answered Abraham,
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.
“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? 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 agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
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 Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
18 while the sones of Heth seiyen and alle men that entriden bi the yate of that citee.
to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to 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 his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near 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.
So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
