Chapter 23

Death and Burial of Sarah

1 Now 1Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 Sarah died in aKiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham 1went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3 Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the asons of Heth, saying,

4 “I am aa stranger and a sojourner among you; bgive me 1a cburial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

6 “Hear us, my lord, you are a 1amighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.”

7 So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your 1wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach aEphron the son of Zohar for me,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in 1your presence for 2a burial site.”

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even aof all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 “No, my lord, hear me; aI give you the field, and I 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 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land.

13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred ashekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham aweighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the 1hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, 2commercial standard.

17 So aEphron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were 1within all the confines of its border, 2were deeded over

18 to Abraham for a possession ain the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

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

20 So the field and the cave that is in it, 1were adeeded over to Abraham for 2a burial site by the sons of Heth.