1 When Sarah was an hundreth twentie and seuen yeere olde (so long liued she). 2 Then Sarah dyed in Kiriath-arba: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. and Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her. 3 Then Abraham rose vp from the sight of his corps, and talked with the Hittites, saying, 4 I am a stranger, and a forreiner among you, giue me a possession of buriall with you, that I may burie my dead out of my sight. 5 Then the Hittites answered Abraham, saying vnto him, 6 Heare vs, my lorde: thou art a prince of God among vs: in the chiefest of our sepulchres bury thy dead: none of vs shall forbid thee his sepulchre, but thou mayest bury thy dead therein. 7 Then Abraham stoode vp, and bowed him selfe before the people of the land of the Hittites. 8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your minde, that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, heare me, and intreate for me to Ephron the sonne of Zohar, 9 That he would giue me ye caue of Machpelah, which he hath in the ende of his field: that he would giue it me for as much money as it is worth, for a possession to bury in among you. 10 (For Ephron dwelt among the Hittites) Then Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of all the Hittites that went in at the gates of his citie, saying, 11 No, my Lord, heare me: the fielde giue I thee, and the caue, that therein is, I giue it thee: euen in the presence of the sonnes of my people giue I it thee, to bury thy dead. 12 Then Abraham bowed himselfe before the people of the land, 13 And spake vnto Ephron in the audience of the people of the countrey, saying, Seeing thou wilt giue it, I pray thee, heare me, I will giue the price of the fielde: receiue it of me, and I will bury my dead there. 14 Ephron then answered Abraham, saying vnto him, 15 My lord, hearken vnto me: ye land is worth foure hundreth shekels of siluer: what is that betweene me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 16 So Abraham hearkened vnto Ephron, and Abraham weyed to Ephron the siluer, which he had named, in the audience of the Hittites, euen foure hundreth siluer shekels of currant money among marchants. 17 So the fielde of Ephron which was in Machpelah, and ouer against Mamre, euen the field and the caue that was therein, and all the trees that were in the fielde, which were in all the borders round about, was made sure 18 Vnto Abraham for a possession, in ye sight of the Hittites, euen of all that went in at the gates of his citie. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the caue of the fielde of Machpelah ouer against Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20 Thus the fielde and the caue, that is therein, was made sure vnto Abraham for a possession of buriall by the Hittites.
Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Burial Ground
1 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. 2 She died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham mourned her death.
3 He left the place where his wife's body was lying, went to the Hittites, and said, 4 “I am a foreigner living here among you; sell me some land, so that I can bury my wife.”
5 They 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.”
7 Then Abraham bowed before them 8 and said, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Ephron son of Zohar 9 to 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.”
10 Ephron 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.”
12 But Abraham bowed before the Hittites 13 and 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.”
14 Ephron answered, 15 “Sir, land worth only four hundred pieces of silver—what is that between us? Bury your wife in it.” 16 Abraham agreed and weighed out the amount that Ephron had mentioned in the hearing of the people—four hundred pieces of silver, according to the standard weights used by the merchants.
17 That 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. 18 It was recognized as Abraham's property by all the Hittites who were there at the meeting.
19 Then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in that cave in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field which had belonged to the Hittites, and the cave in it, became the property of Abraham for a burial ground.