Chapter 23

Chapter 23

1 And the life-span of Sarah was 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 Then Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.

3 After that, Abraham arose from the side of his deceased woman and spoke directly to the sons of Heth, saying,

4 “I am a foreigner and a temporary resident among you; grant me ownership of a burial plot here among you, so that I may bury my dead.”

5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

6 “Listen to us, our master: you are a chief exalted by The All-Powerful One among us. Bury your dead in the best tomb we have; none of us will refuse you a burial site or prevent you from burying your dead.”

7 Then Abraham arose and bowed low to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.

8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If you are truly willing to let me bury my dead, listen to me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 so that he will give me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the edge of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for its full market value as a permanent burial property.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth—in full view of all the citizens gathered at the city gate—saying,

11 “No, my master, listen to me: I give you the field, and I also give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”

12 Then Abraham bowed low before the people of the land.

13 And he spoke directly to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you would only listen to me! I will pay the full market value of the field; accept it from me so that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 “My master, listen to me: a piece of land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out the silver that Ephron had set publicly: 400 shekels of silver, according to the standard currency commercial merchants accept.

17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field, the cave within it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field—was legally transferred

18 to Abraham as his permanent property, in full view of all the citizens gathered at the city gate.

19 After this, Abraham buried his woman Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

20 Thus the field and the cave within it were legally transferred from the sons of Heth to Abraham as a permanent burial plot.