Genesis 23
23
Sarah Dies
1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2She died in the city of Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham was very sad and cried for her there. 3Then he left his dead wife and went to talk to the Hittites. He said, 4“I am only a foreigner staying in your country. I have no place to bury my wife. Please give me some land so that I can bury her.”
5The Hittites answered Abraham, 6“Sir, you are a great leader#23:6 great leader Literally, “God’s prince.” among us. You can have the best place we have to bury your dead. You can have any of our burying places that you want. None of us will stop you from burying your wife there.”
7Abraham got up and bowed to the people. 8He said to them, “If you really want to help me bury my dead wife, speak to Ephron the son of Zohar for me. 9I would like to buy the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to Ephron. It is at the end of his field. I will pay him the full price. I want all of you to be witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place.”
10Ephron was sitting there among the people. He answered Abraham, 11“No, sir. Here in front of my people, I give you that land and the cave on it so that you can bury your wife.”
12Abraham bowed before the Hittites. 13He said to Ephron before all the people, “But I want to give you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead.”
14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“Sir, listen to me. Ten pounds#23:15 Ten pounds Literally, “400 shekels” (4.6 kg). Also in verse 16. of silver mean nothing to you or me. Take the land and bury your dead wife.”
16Abraham understood that Ephron was telling him the price of the land.#23:16 Abraham understood … the land Literally, “Abraham heard.” So Abraham paid him for the land. He weighed out ten pounds of silver for Ephron and gave it to the merchant.#23:16 merchant Someone who earns their living by buying and selling things. Here, this is probably a person who was helping Abraham and Ephron write the contract in verses 17 and 18.
17-18So the field of Ephron changed owners. This field was in Machpelah, near Mamre. Abraham became the owner of the field, the cave in it, and all the trees in the field. Everyone in the city saw the agreement between Ephron and Abraham. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of that field near Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20Abraham bought the field and the cave in it from the Hittites. So this became his property to be used as a burial place.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 23
23
CHAPTER 23
1Forsooth Sarah lived an hundred and seven and twenty years,
2and died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to bewail and beweep her.
3And when he had risen from the office of the dead body, he spake to the sons of Heth, and said,
4I am a comeling and a pilgrim with you; give ye to me right of [a] sepulchre with you, that I bury my dead body.
5And the sons of Heth answered, and said,
6Lord, hear thou us; thou art the prince of God with us; bury thou thy dead body in our chosen sepulchres, and no man shall be able to forbid thee, that not thou bury thy dead body in the sepulchre of him.
7And Abraham [a] rose, and worship-ped or honoured the people of the land, that is, the sons of Heth.
8And he said to them, If it pleaseth your soul that I bury my dead body, hear ye me, and pray ye for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9that he give to me the double cave, which he hath in the uttermost part of his field; for sufficient money give he it to me before you into possession of [a] sepulchre.
10Forsooth Ephron dwelled in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron answered to Abraham, while all men heard that entered by the gate of that city, and said,
11My lord, it shall not be done so, but more hearken thou to that that I say; I give to thee the field, and the cave which is therein, while the sons of my people be present; bury thou thy dead body.
12Abraham worshipped before the Lord, and before the people of the land,
13and he spake to Ephron, while his people stood about, I beseech, that thou hear me; I shall give money for the field, receive thou it, and so I shall bury my dead body in the field.
14And Ephron answered,
15My lord, hear thou me; the land which thou askest for is worth four hundred shekels of silver, that is the price betwixt me and thee; but how much is this? bury thou thy dead body.
16And when Abraham had heard this, he numbered out the money which Ephron asked for, while the sons of Heth heard, four hundred shekels of silver, and of proved common money.
17And the field that was sometime of Ephron, in which field was a double den, beholding to Mamre, as well that field, as the den, and all the trees thereof, in all the terms thereof by compass,
18was confirmed to Abraham into possession, while the sons of Heth saw, and all men that entered by the gate of that city.
19And so Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the double den of the field, that beheld to Mamre; this is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20And the field, and the den that was therein, was confirmed of the sons of Heth to Abraham, into possession of a sepulchre.
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Wycliffe’s Bible with Modern Spelling ©2017
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