Genesis 23
23
Sarah's Death and Burial
1-2When Sarah was 127 years old, she died in Kiriath-Arba, better known as Hebron, in the land of Canaan. After Abraham had mourned for her, 3he went to the Hittites and said, 4#He 11.9,13; Ac 7.16. “I live as a foreigner in your land, and I don't own any property where I can bury my wife. Please let me buy a piece of land.”
5-6“Sir,” they answered, “you are an important man. Choose the best place to bury your wife. None of us would refuse you a resting place for your dead.”
7Abraham bowed down 8and replied, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Zohar's son Ephron 9to sell me Machpelah Cave at the end of his field. I'll pay what it's worth, and all of you can be witnesses.”
10Ephron was sitting there near the city gate, when Abraham made this request, and he answered, 11“Sir, the whole field, including the cave, is yours. With my own people as witnesses, I freely give it to you as a burial place for your dead.”
12Once again, Abraham bowed down 13and said to Ephron, “In front of these witnesses, I offer you the full price, so I can bury my wife. Please accept my offer.”
14-15“But sir,” the man replied, “the property is worth only 400 pieces of silver. Why should we haggle over such a small amount? Take the land. It's yours.”
16-18Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid him the 400 pieces of silver in front of everyone at the city gate. That's how Abraham came to own Ephron's property east of Mamre,#23.16-18 Mamre: A place just north of Hebron. which included the field with all of its trees, as well as Machpelah Cave at the end of the field. 19So Abraham buried his wife Sarah in Machpelah Cave that was in the field 20he had bought from the Hittites.
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Genesis 23: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 23
23
The Death of Sarah
1Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. 2#Ge 23:19; 13:18Then Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3#Ge 10:15Then Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the Hittites,#From the Septuagint, a cloak with long sleeves, a full-length cloak, or an embroidered cloak, showing favoritism. saying, 4#Ge 17:8; 1Ch 29:15“I am a stranger and a foreigner among you. Give me property for a burying place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5So the Hittites answered Abraham, 6#Ge 24:35; 14:14“Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty 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 Hittites. 8He spoke with them, saying, “If it be your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence for the full price for a burial site.”
10#Ge 34:20; 34:24Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of all the Hittites, all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11“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. Bury your dead.”
12Then Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13Then he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “Indeed, 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.”
14Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15#Eze 45:12“My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver.#About 10 pounds, or 4.6 kilograms. What is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
16#Jer 32:9; Zec 11:12Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron four hundred shekels of silver, the price that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, according to the standard commercial measure.
17#Ge 25:9; 50:13So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field that were within all the surrounding borders were deeded 18to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20#Ru 4:7–10So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as property for a burial place.
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