Genesis 23
1 And the life of Sarah is a hundred and twenty and seven years — years of the life of Sarah;
Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2 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.
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 Abraham riseth up from the presence of his dead, and speaketh unto the sons of Heth, saying,
Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
4 '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.'
“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 sons of Heth answer Abraham, saying to him,
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 '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.'
“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 riseth and boweth himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 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;
“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 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.'
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 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,
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 '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.'
“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 And Abraham boweth himself before the people of the land,
Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
13 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.'
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 Ephron answereth Abraham, saying to him,
Ephron answered Abraham,
15 'My lord, hear me: the land — four hundred shekels of silver; between me and thee, what [is] it? — thy dead bury.'
“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 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.
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 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,
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 to Abraham by purchase, before the eyes of the sons of Heth, among all entering the gate of his city.
to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
19 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;
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 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.
So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
