Genesis 23:1-16 ▼

1 And the lifetime of Sarah was a hundred years and twenty years and seven years; the years of the lifetime of Sarah.

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

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead one, and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

4 “I am a sojourner and a stranger among you?; give to me a possession of a burial place with you?, that I may bury my dead from before me.”

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

6 “Hear us, my lord: You are a prince of God in our midst. In the choicest of our burial places bury your dead; none of us will withhold from you his burial place, from burying your dead.”

7 And Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your? desire that I bury my dead from before me, hear me and intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar,

9 that he may give to me the cave of Machpelah which is his, which is at the end of his field. For full silver let him give it to me, in your? midst, as a possession of a burial place.”

10 And Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth—of all those entering at the gate of his city—saying,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give it to you; before the eyes of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”

12 And Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land,

13 and he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, “Only if you—please—hear me: I give the silver for the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 “My lord, hear me: Land worth four hundred shekels of silver—between me and between you, what is it? And bury your dead.”

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—four hundred shekels of silver, passing with the merchant.