Genesis 23

The Death and Burial of Sarah

1Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.

3Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,#23:3 Or sons of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20 4“I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”

5The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6“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.”

7Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8“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 9to 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.”

10Now 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“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.”

12Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13and 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.”

14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver,#23:15 400 shekels is approximately 10.1 pounds or 4.6 kilograms of silver; also in verse 16. but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16Abraham 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.

17So 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 18to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

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Bereshis 23

[CHAYYE SARAH]

1And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty shanah old: these were the shnei chayyai Sarah.

2And Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba; the same is Chevron in eretz Kena'an: and Avraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3And Avraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the bnei Chet, saying,

4I am a ger and a sojourner with you: give me an achuzzah (possession) of a kever with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5And the bnei Chet answered Avraham, saying unto him,

6Hear us, adoni: thou art a nasi Elohim among us; in the choice of kevareinu bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his kever, that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7And Avraham stood up, and bowed himself to the am ha'aretz, even to the bnei Chet.

8And he spoke to them, saying, If it be your nefesh (will) that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron ben Tzochar,

9That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his sadeh; for the kesef maleh (full price) he shall give it me for an achuzzah (possession) of a kever amongst you.

10And Ephron dwelt among the bnei Chet: and Ephron the Chitti answered Avraham in the hearing of the bnei Chet, even of all that went in at the sha'ar of his city, saying,

11Lo, adoni, hear me; the sadeh give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the bnei ammi give I it thee; bury thy dead.

12And Avraham bowed down himself before the am ha'aretz.

13And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the am ha'aretz, saying, But if thou wilt give it, now, hear me; I will give thee kesef for the sadeh; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

14And Ephron answered Avraham, saying unto him,

15Pay heed, adoni, unto me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of kesef; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16And Avraham paid heed unto Ephron; and Avraham weighed to Ephron the kesef, which he had named in the hearing of the bnei Chet four hundred shekels of kesef, according to current merchant value.

17And the sadeh of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was near Mamre, the sadeh, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the sadeh, that were in all the borders round about, were deeded

18Unto Avraham for a property in the presence of the bnei Chet, before all that went in at the sha'ar of his city.

19And after this, Avraham buried Sarah his isha in the cave of the sadeh of Machpelah near Mamre; the same is Chevron in the eretz Kena'an.

20And the sadeh, and the cave that is therein, were deeded unto Avraham for an achuzzah of a kever by the bnei Chet.

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