THE FIRST BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
G E N E S I S
Genesis 23 ©
Sarah dies, and is bemoaned by Abraham, vs.1. Abraham does solemnly purchase the field of Ephron the Hittite, with the cave of Machpelah for an hereditary burying place, 3. And there he buries his wife Sarah, 19.
AND Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
And Sarah died in 1Kirjath-arba; the same is 2Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham 3came to mourn for Sarah, and 4to weep for her.
¶And Abraham stood 5up from before his dead, and spake unto the 6sons of Heth, saying,
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: givea me a possession of a buryingplace with you, 7that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty 8prince among us: in the 9choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
And he communed with them, saying, 10If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of 11Zohar,
That he may give me the cave of 12Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for 13as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
And Ephron 14dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that 15went in 16at the gate of his city, saying,
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if 17thou wilt give it, 18I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred 19shekels of silver;b what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
And Abrahamc hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham 20weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
¶Andd the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were 21made sure
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in 22at the gate of his city.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah 23before Mamre: the same is 24Hebron 25in the land of Canaan.
And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.