B'resheet (Gen) 23

Parashah 5: Hayyei-Sarah (Sarah’s life) 23:1–25:18

1Sarah lived to be 127 years old; these were the years of Sarah’s life. 2Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an; and Avraham came to mourn Sarah and weep for her. 3Then he got up from his dead one and said to the sons of Het, 4“I am a foreigner living as an alien with you; let me have a burial site with you, so that I can bury my dead wife.” 5The sons of Het answered Avraham, 6“Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us, so choose any of our tombs to bury your dead — not one of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

7Avraham got up, bowed before the people of the land, the sons of Het, 8and spoke with them. “If it is your desire to help me bury my dead, then listen to me: ask ‘Efron the son of Tzochar 9to give me the cave of Makhpelah, which he owns, the one at the end of his field. He should sell it to me in your presence at its full value; then I will have a burial site of my own.”

10‘Efron the Hitti was sitting among the sons of Het, and he gave Avraham his answer in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city: 11“No, my lord, listen to me: I’m giving you the field, with its cave — I’m giving it to you. In the presence of my people I give it to you.” 12Avraham bowed before the people of the land 13and spoke to ‘Efron in their hearing: “Please be good enough to listen to me. I will pay the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14But ‘Efron answered Avraham, 15“My lord, listen to me. A plot of land worth 400 silver shekels — what is that between me and you? Just bury your dead.” 16Avraham got the point of what ‘Efron had said, so he weighed out for ‘Efron the amount of money he had specified in the presence of the sons of Het, 400 silver shekels of the weight accepted among merchants [ten pounds].

(ii) 17Thus the field of ‘Efron in Makhpelah, which is by Mamre — the field, its cave and all the trees in and around it — were deeded 18to Avraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city.

19Then Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an. 20The field and its cave had been purchased by Avraham from the sons of Het as a burial-site which would belong to him.

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 23

1And Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.

2And Sarah died in Qiryath Arba, that is Ḥeḇron, in the land of Kena‛an, and Aḇraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3Then Aḇraham rose up from beside his dead, and spoke to the sons of Ḥĕth, saying,

4I am a foreigner and a sojourner among you. Give me property for a burial-site among you, so that I bury my dead from my presence.

5And the sons of Ḥĕth answered Aḇraham, saying to him,

6Hear us, my master: You are a prince of Elohim among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial-sites. None of us withholds from you his burial-site, from burying your dead.

7So Aḇraham rose and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Ḥĕth.

8And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your desire that I bury my dead from my presence, hear me, and approach Ephron son of Tsoḥar for me,

9and let me have the cave of Maḵpĕlah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the complete amount of silver, as property for a burial-site among you.”

10And Ephron dwelt among the sons of Ḥĕth. And Ephron the Ḥittite answered Aḇraham in the hearing of the sons of Ḥĕth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying,

11No, my master, listen to me! I shall give you the field and the cave that is in it. I shall give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I shall give it to you. Bury your dead!

12And Aḇraham bowed himself down before the people of the land,

13and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me. I shall give the amount of silver for the field, take it from me, and let me bury my dead there.”

14And Ephron answered Aḇraham, saying to him,

15My master, listen to me! The land is worth four hundred sheqels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.

16And Aḇraham listened to Ephron, and Aḇraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Ḥĕth, four hundred sheqels of silver, currency of the merchants.

17Thus the field of Ephron which was in Maḵpĕlah, which was before Mamrĕ, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded

18to Aḇraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Ḥĕth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

19And after this Aḇraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Maḵpĕlah, before Mamrĕ, that is Ḥeḇron, in the land of Kena‛an.

20Thus the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Aḇraham by the sons of Ḥĕth as property for a burial-site.

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