Genesis 23 Intro: Sarah's death and burial -- Purchase of the field of Ephron.
1 And Sarah was an hundred and twenty-seven years old, and she died; and thus ended the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is now called Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
3 And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her, his wife which was dead.
4 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of 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, Hear us, my lord; thou art a mighty prince among us; in the choicest of our sepulchers bury thou thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
6 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, and to the children of Heth; and he communed with them, saying,
7 If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath in the end of his field;
8 For, as much money as it is worth he shall have, if he will give it me for a possession of a burying-place among you.
9 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth.
10 And Ephron, the Hittite, answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, among all of them that went in at the gates of the city, saying,
11 Hearken, my lord, and hear me; the field I give thee, and the cave that is therein; I give it thee in the presence of the sons of my people; and I give it thee; therefore, bury thy dead.
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land, and he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, I pray thee, hear me;
13 If thou wilt take it of me, I will give thee money for the field, and I will bury my dead there, but I will give thee money for it.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me; the land thou shalt have for four hundred shekels of silver; what shall that be betwixt me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead.
15 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed unto Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, which was current with the merchant.
16 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, and that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of the city.
17 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre; the same is called Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
18 And the field and the cave that was therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth.
