The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 23 -

When Sarah was an hundreth twentie and seuen yeere olde (so long liued she).

Then Sarah dyed in Kiriath-arba: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. and Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her.

Then Abraham rose vp from the sight of his corps, and talked with the Hittites, saying,

I am a stranger, and a forreiner among you, giue me a possession of buriall with you, that I may burie my dead out of my sight.

Then the Hittites answered Abraham, saying vnto him,

Heare vs, my lorde: thou art a prince of God among vs: in the chiefest of our sepulchres bury thy dead: none of vs shall forbid thee his sepulchre, but thou mayest bury thy dead therein.

Then Abraham stoode vp, and bowed him selfe before the people of the land of the Hittites.

And he communed with them, saying, If it be your minde, that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, heare me, and intreate for me to Ephron the sonne of Zohar,

That he would giue me ye caue of Machpelah, which he hath in the ende of his field: that he would giue it me for as much money as it is worth, for a possession to bury in among you.

(For Ephron dwelt among the Hittites) Then Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of all the Hittites that went in at the gates of his citie, saying,

No, my Lord, heare me: the fielde giue I thee, and the caue, that therein is, I giue it thee: euen in the presence of the sonnes of my people giue I it thee, to bury thy dead.

Then Abraham bowed himselfe before the people of the land,

And spake vnto Ephron in the audience of the people of the countrey, saying, Seeing thou wilt giue it, I pray thee, heare me, I will giue the price of the fielde: receiue it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

Ephron then answered Abraham, saying vnto him,

My lord, hearken vnto me: ye land is worth foure hundreth shekels of siluer: what is that betweene me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

So Abraham hearkened vnto Ephron, and Abraham weyed to Ephron the siluer, which he had named, in the audience of the Hittites, euen foure hundreth siluer shekels of currant money among marchants.

So the fielde of Ephron which was in Machpelah, and ouer against Mamre, euen the field and the caue that was therein, and all the trees that were in the fielde, which were in all the borders round about, was made sure

Vnto Abraham for a possession, in ye sight of the Hittites, euen of all that went in at the gates of his citie.

And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the caue of the fielde of Machpelah ouer against Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Thus the fielde and the caue, that is therein, was made sure vnto Abraham for a possession of buriall by the Hittites.

Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah’s life.

Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

Abraham rose up from before his dead and spoke to the children of Heth, saying,

“I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

The children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

“Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.”

Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.

He talked with them, saying, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

that he may sell me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him sell it to me among you as a possession for a burial place.”

Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”

Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

“My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver (a) between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.”

Abraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.

So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded

to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

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.

The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Abraham by the children of Heth as a possession for a burial place.

Footnotes

(a)23:15 A shekel is about 10 grams, so 400 shekels would be about 4 kg. or 8.8 pounds.