Genesis 23
Sarah died at the age of 127 in Hebron, and Abraham mourned for her. He negotiated with the sons of Heth and purchased the cave of Machpelah and its surrounding field from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver. Abraham buried Sarah there — his first piece of land in Canaan.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. | Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. |
| 2 | And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. | Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. |
| 3 | And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, | Then Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, |
| 4 | I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. | 'I am a stranger and a sojourner among you. Give me property for a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.' |
| 5 | And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, | The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, |
| 6 | Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. | 'Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you His tomb for burying your dead.' |
| 7 | And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. | Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. |
| 8 | And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, | He spoke with them, saying, 'If it is your will that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, |
| 9 | That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you. | that 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 your presence as property for a burying place.' |
| 10 | And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, | Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, |
| 11 | Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. | 'No, my lord, hear me. The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.' |
| 12 | And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. | Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. |
| 13 | And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. | he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, 'But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field; accept it from me. I will bury my dead there.' |
| 14 | And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, | Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, |
| 15 | My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. | 'My lord, listen to me. A piece of land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.' |
| 16 | And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. | Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth: 400 shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. |
| 17 | And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure | So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was facing Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over |
| 18 | Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. | to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. |
| 19 | And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. | After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. |
| 20 | And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth. | The field and the cave that was in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the sons of Heth. |