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
Abraham Purchases Machpelah
1Now Sarah’s life was 127 years—the years of Sarah’s life.
2Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3Then Abraham rose from before his dead one and spoke to the sons of Heth saying,
4“I am an outsider and a sojourner among you. Give me a gravesite among you so that I may bury my dead from before my presence.”
5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
6“Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our graves. None among us will withhold his grave from you, to bury your dead one.”
7Then Abraham got up and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth,
8and spoke with them saying, “If you are of a mind to let me bury my dead from before my presence, listen to me. Plead with Ephron son of Zophar on my behalf,
9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, that is at the end of his field. At the full price let him give it to me in your midst for a gravesite.”
10Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, all those who enter the gate of his city, saying,
11“No, my lord, listen to me. The field—I hereby give it to you. Also the cave that is in it—I hereby give it to you. In the eyes of the sons of my people, I hereby give it to you. Bury your dead one.”
12Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land,
13and spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, “But if only you would please listen to me. I hereby give the price of the field. Accept it from me that I may bury my dead one there.”
14So Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
15“My lord, listen to me. A land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead one.”
16Abraham heard Ephron. So Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—400 shekels of silver at the merchant’s rate.
17Now Ephron’s field that is in Machpelah next to Mamre—the field and the cave that is in it, and all the trees that are in the field in all its surrounding territory—was handed over
18to Abraham as a purchased possession in the eyes of the sons of Heth, before all those who enter the gate of his city.
19Afterward, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
20So the field and the cave that was in it were handed over to Abraham as a gravesite from the sons of Heth.
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