Genesis 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#He 11.9,13; Ac 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 four hundred 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—four hundred 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.

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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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