The Death of Sarah
1. And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years;
these were the years of the life 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,
and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
4. “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you;
give me a possession of a burial place with you,
that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
Abraham Negotiates with the Hittites
5. And the 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 choicest of our sepulchres;
none of us will withhold his tomb from you,
that you may bury your dead.”
7. And Abraham rose up,
and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.
8. And he spoke with them, saying,
“If it is your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight,
hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
9. that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has,
which is at the end of his field;
for the full price let him give it to me in your presence
for a possession of a burial place.”
Ephron’s Offer
10. And Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth;
and Ephron the Hittite 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:
the field I give you, and the cave that is in it, I give it to you;
in the presence 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 hearing of the people of the land, saying,
“But if you will give it, I pray you, hear me:
I will give you the price of the field;
take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
The Purchase of the Cave of Machpelah
14. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15. “My lord, listen to me:
the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver;
what is that between me and you?
Bury therefore your dead.”
16. And Abraham listened to Ephron,
and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named
in the hearing of the sons of Heth,
four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17. So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah,
which was before Mamre — the field and the cave which was in it,
and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its border round about —
18. were made sure to Abraham for a possession
in the presence of the sons of Heth,
before all who went in at the gate of his city.
The Burial of Sarah
19. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife
in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron)
in the land of Canaan.
20. And the field, and the cave that was in it,
were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burial place
by the sons of Heth.
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