B'resheet (Gen) 23
23
Parashah 5: Hayyei-Sarah (Sarah’s life) 23:1–25:18
1Sarah lived to be 127 years old; these were the years of Sarah’s life. 2Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an; and Avraham came to mourn Sarah and weep for her. 3Then he got up from his dead one and said to the sons of Het, 4“I am a foreigner living as an alien with you; let me have a burial site with you, so that I can bury my dead wife.” 5The sons of Het answered Avraham, 6“Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us, so choose any of our tombs to bury your dead — not one of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7Avraham got up, bowed before the people of the land, the sons of Het, 8and spoke with them. “If it is your desire to help me bury my dead, then listen to me: ask ‘Efron the son of Tzochar 9to give me the cave of Makhpelah, which he owns, the one at the end of his field. He should sell it to me in your presence at its full value; then I will have a burial site of my own.”
10‘Efron the Hitti was sitting among the sons of Het, and he gave Avraham his answer in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city: 11“No, my lord, listen to me: I’m giving you the field, with its cave — I’m giving it to you. In the presence of my people I give it to you.” 12Avraham bowed before the people of the land 13and spoke to ‘Efron in their hearing: “Please be good enough to listen to me. I will pay the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14But ‘Efron answered Avraham, 15“My lord, listen to me. A plot of land worth 400 silver shekels — what is that between me and you? Just bury your dead.” 16Avraham got the point of what ‘Efron had said, so he weighed out for ‘Efron the amount of money he had specified in the presence of the sons of Het, 400 silver shekels of the weight accepted among merchants [ten pounds].
(ii) 17Thus the field of ‘Efron in Makhpelah, which is by Mamre — the field, its cave and all the trees in and around it — were deeded 18to Avraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city.
19Then Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an. 20The field and its cave had been purchased by Avraham from the sons of Het as a burial-site which would belong to him.
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B'resheet (Gen) 23: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleGenesis 23
23
1And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years.
2And she died in the city of Arbee which is Hebron, in the land of Chanaan: and Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.
3And after he rose up from the funeral obsequies, he spoke to the children of Heth, saying:
4I am a stranger and sojourner among you: give me the right of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead.
5The children of Heth answered, saying:
6My Lord, hear us: Thou art a prince of God among us. Bury thy dead in our principle sepulchres: and no man shall have power to hinder thee from burying thy dead in his sepulchre.
7Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, to wit, the children of Heth:
8And said to them: If it please your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede for me to Ephron the son of Seor.
9That he may give me the double cave, which he hath in the end of his field. For as much money as it is worth he shall give it me before you, for a possession of a burying place.
10Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the children of Heth. And Ephron made answer to Abraham in the hearing of all that went in at the gate of the city, saying:
11Let it not be so, my lord, but do thou rather hearken to what I say: The field I deliver to thee, and the cave that is therein, in the presence of the children of my people, bury thy dead.
12Abraham bowed down before the people of the land,
13And he spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech thee to hear me. I will give money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.
14And Ephron answered:
15My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver. This is the price between me and thee. But what is this? Bury thy dead.
16And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred sicles of silver of common current money.
17And the field that before was Ephron's, wherein was the double cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof in all its limits round about,
18Was made sure to Abraham for a possession, in the sight of the children of Heth, and of all that went in at the gate of his city.
19And so Abraham buried Sara his wife, in a double cave of the field, that looked towards Mambre. This is Hebron in the land of Chanaan.
20And the field was made sure to Abraham, and the cave that was in it, for a possession to bury in, by the children of Heth.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.