Genesis 23
23
The Burial of Sarah
1When Sarah was 127 years old, 2she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.
3Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, 4“Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”
5The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6“Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way.”
7Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites 8and said, “Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar 9to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family.”
10Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. 11“No, my lord,” he said to Abraham, “please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead.”
12Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, 13and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. “No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there.”
14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces#23:15 Hebrew 400 shekels, about 10 pounds or 4.6 kilograms in weight; also in 23:16. of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”
16So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.
17So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. 18It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. 19Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). 20So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Genesis 23
23
1And Sarah [Princess] was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah [Princess].
2Sarah [Princess] died in Kiryat-Kiryat-Arba [City of Arba (fourth)] (Village of the Rich; Wealthy; long necked) the same [is] Hevron in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues) and Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] came to mourn for Sarah [Princess], and to weep for her.
3And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Het (terror), saying,
4I [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.
5And the children of Het (terror) answered Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], saying unto him,
6Hear us, my lord: youi [are] a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury youri dead; none of us shall withhold from youi his sepulcher, but that youi may bury youri dead.
7And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, [even] to the children of Het (terror).
8And he communed with them, saying, If it be yourf mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to ‘Efron (fawn-like) the son of Tzochar (shining oil; brightness),
9That he may give me the cave of Makhpelah (portion; double cave), which he has, 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 amongst you.
10And ‘Efron (fawn-like) dwelt among the children of Het (terror): and ‘Efron (fawn-like) the Hitti (terrorists) answered Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] in the audience of the children of Het (terror), [even] of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11No, my lord, hear me: the field give I youi, and the cave that [is] in it, I give it youi; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it youi: bury youri dead.
12And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13And he spoke unto ‘Efron (fawn-like) in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if youi [will give it], I pray youi, hear me: I will give youi money for the field; take [it] of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14And ‘Efron (fawn-like) answered Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], saying unto him,
15My lord, hearken unto me: the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what [is] that between me and youi? bury therefore youri dead.
16And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] listened unto ‘Efron (fawn-like); and Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] weighed to ‘Efron (fawn-like) the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Het (terror), four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
17And the field of ‘Efron (fawn-like), which [was] in Makhpelah (portion; double cave), which [was] before Mamre (firmness; fatling (fat cattle) offering), 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
18Unto Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] for a possession in the presence of the children of Het (terror), before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19And after this, Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] buried Sarah [Princess] his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpelah (portion; double cave) before Mamre (firmness; fatling (fat cattle) offering): the same [is] Hevron (Place/Town Of Alliance) in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues).
20And the field, and the cave that [is] in it, were made sure unto Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Het (terror).
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