The Death of Sarah

23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arbax (that is, Hebron)y in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.z

3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.a a He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and strangerb among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.c”

5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty princed among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohare on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,f which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”

10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittitesg who had come to the gateh of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I giveb i you the field, and I givec you the cave that is in it. I gived it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekelse of silver,j but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham 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,k according to the weight current among the merchants.l

17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelahm near Mamren—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his propertyo in the presence of all the Hittitesp who had come to the gateq of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelahr near Mamre (which is at Hebrons) in the land of Canaan.t 20 So the field and the cave in it were deededu to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.v