Genesis 23
23
Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Burial Ground
1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2She died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.
3He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, 4#Heb 11.9, 13; Acts 7.16“I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife.”
5They answered, 6“Listen to us, sir. We look upon you as a mighty leader; bury your wife in the best grave that we have. Any of us would be glad to give you a grave, so that you can bury her.”
7Then Abraham bowed before them 8and said, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar 9to sell me Machpelah Cave, which is near the edge of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, here in your presence, so that I can own it as a burial ground.”
10Ephron himself was sitting with the other Hittites at the meeting place at the city gate; he answered in the hearing of everyone there, 11“Listen, sir; I will give you the whole field and the cave that is in it. Here in the presence of my own people, I will give it to you, so that you can bury your wife.”
12But Abraham bowed before the Hittites 13and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, “May I ask you, please, to listen. I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will bury my wife there.”
14Ephron answered, 15“Sir, land worth only 400 pieces of silver — what is that between us? Bury your wife in it.” 16Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people — 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.
17That is how the property which had belonged to Ephron at Machpelah, east of Mamre, became Abraham's. It included the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees in the field up to the edge of the property. 18It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.
19Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of Canaan. 20So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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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