Genesis 23
New Heart English Bible
1Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life. 2Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4"I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may remove my dead for burial." 5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6"Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to prevent you from burying your dead." 7Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. 8He talked with them, saying, "If you agree that I may remove my dead for burial, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a burial place." 10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11"No, my lord, hear me. I 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." 12Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there." 14Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15"My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead." 16Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.

17So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded 18to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham as a possession for a burial place by the sons of Heth.



New Heart English Bible
Edited by Wayne A. Mitchell.
Public Domain 2008-2024


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