Genesis 23

Death and Burial of Sarah

1 Now
Lit the life of Sarah was
Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2Sarah died in bKiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham
Or proceeded
came in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3Then Abraham arose from mourning before his dead, and spoke to the dsons of Heth, saying, 4“I am ea stranger and a foreign resident among you; fgive me
Lit possession of a burial place
a hburial site among you so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6“Hear us, my lord: you are a
Lit prince of God
jmighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.”
7So Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8And he spoke with them, saying, “If
Lit it is with your soul
you are willing to let me bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me, and plead with lEphron the son of Zohar for me,
9that 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
Lit the midst of you
your presence for
Lit possession of a burial place
a burial site.”
10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham
Lit in the ears of
so that the sons of Heth heard, pthat is, all who entered the gate of his city, saying,
11“No, my lord, listen to me; qI 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.” 12And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13But he spoke to Ephron
Lit in the ears of
so that the people of the land heard, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me so that I may bury my dead there.”
14Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, listen to me: a plot of land worth
About 12.5 lb. or 5.7 kg
four hundred tshekels of silver --what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
16Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham uweighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the
Lit ears
presence of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency acceptable to a merchant.

17 So wEphron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were
Lit in all its border around
within all the confines of its border,
Or were ratified
were deeded over
18to Abraham as a possession zin the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave that was in it
Or were ratified
were abdeeded over to Abraham for
Lit possession of a burial place
a burial site by the sons of Heth.
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