Genesis 23
23
Sarah’s Death and Burial
1Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2So Sarah died in #Gen. 35:27; Josh. 14:15; 15:13; 21:11Kirjath Arba (that is, #Gen. 13:18; 23:19Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of #Gen. 10:15; 15:20; 2 Kin. 7:6Heth, saying, 4#(Gen. 17:8); Lev. 25:23; 1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 39:12; 105:12; 119:19; (Heb. 11:9, 13)“I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. #Acts 7:5, 16Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6“Hear us, my lord: You are a #Gen. 13:2; 14:14; 24:35mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”
7Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9that he may give me the cave of #Gen. 25:9Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”
10Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who #Gen. 23:18; 34:20, 24; Ruth 4:1, 4, 11entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11#2 Sam. 24:21–24“No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”
12Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”
14And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred #Ex. 30:13; Ezek. 45:12shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham #2 Sam. 14:26; Jer. 32:9, 10; Zech. 11:12weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.
17So #Gen. 25:9; 49:29–32; 50:13; Acts 7:16the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19And 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. 20So the field and the cave that is in it #Jer. 32:10, 11were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.
Currently Selected:
Genesis 23: NKJV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Genesis 23
23
Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Burial Ground
1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2She died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.
3He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, 4#Heb 11.9, 13; Acts 7.16“I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife.”
5They answered, 6“Listen to us, sir. We look upon you as a mighty leader; bury your wife in the best grave that we have. Any of us would be glad to give you a grave, so that you can bury her.”
7Then Abraham bowed before them 8and said, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar 9to sell me Machpelah Cave, which is near the edge of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, here in your presence, so that I can own it as a burial ground.”
10Ephron himself was sitting with the other Hittites at the meeting place at the city gate; he answered in the hearing of everyone there, 11“Listen, sir; I will give you the whole field and the cave that is in it. Here in the presence of my own people, I will give it to you, so that you can bury your wife.”
12But Abraham bowed before the Hittites 13and said to Ephron, so that everyone could hear, “May I ask you, please, to listen. I will buy the whole field. Accept my payment, and I will bury my wife there.”
14Ephron answered, 15“Sir, land worth only 400 pieces of silver — what is that between us? Bury your wife in it.” 16Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people — 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.
17That is how the property which had belonged to Ephron at Machpelah, east of Mamre, became Abraham's. It included the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees in the field up to the edge of the property. 18It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.
19Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of Canaan. 20So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.