Genesis 23

Death and Burial of Sarah

1Now 1Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2Sarah died in 2Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham 3went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the 4sons of Heth, saying, 4“I am 5a stranger and a sojourner among you; 6give me 7a 8burial site among you 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 910mighty 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 rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your 11wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach 12Ephron 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 13your presence for 14a burial site.” 10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even 15of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11“No, my lord, hear me; 16I 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. 13He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.” 14Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred 17shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” 16Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham 18weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the 19hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, 20commercial standard.

17So 21Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were 22within all the confines of its border, 23were deeded over 18to Abraham for a possession 24in 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 at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave that is in it, 25were 26deeded over to Abraham for 27a burial site by the sons of Heth.