23:1 The lifetime of Sarah1 was a hundred and twenty seven years; these were the years of Sarah.2 23:2 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
23:3 Then Abraham rose up from before his dead,4 and spoke to the sons of Heth,5 saying, 23:4 “I am a temporary settler6 among you; give7 me the ownership8 of a burial site among you so that I may9 bury my dead out of my sight.”
23:5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:6 “Listen, sir;10 you are a mighty prince11 in our midst. In the choicest of our tombs bury your dead. None of us will withhold his tomb from you, to prevent you12 from burying your dead.”
23:7 Then Abraham got up13 and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth. 23:8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your mind14 that I bury my dead out of my sight, then hear me out15 and entreat for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, 23:9 that he give16 me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him and that is at the end of the field. Let him give17 it to me for the full price18 for the ownership of the burial site.”19
23:10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing20 of the sons of Heth, even before all who entered the gate21 of his city, saying, 23:11 “No, my lord; hear me: I give22 you the field, and the cave that is in it I give you, in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
23:12 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land 23:13 and spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “Hear me, if you will. I give you the price23 of the field. Take it from me, so that I may24 bury my dead there.”
23:14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me my lord: land worth25 four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
23:16 So Abraham accepted Ephron’s price26 and weighed27 out to Ephron the price28 that he had quoted29 in the hearing the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with merchants.30
23:17 So the field of Ephron that is in Machpelah, next to Mamre, the field and the cave that is in it, and all the trees that were in the field that were all around its border, were secured31 23:18 by Abraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city.32
23:19 And after this Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah next to Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So the field and the cave that was in it were secured by Abraham for a possession as a burial site33 from the sons of Heth.