Genesis 23
1 And the life of Sarrha was an
hundred and twenty-seven years. 2 And
Sarrha died in the city of Arboc, which is in the valley, this is Chebron in
the land of Chanaan; and Abraam came to lament for Sarrha and to mourn.
3 And Abraam stood up from before his
dead; and Abraam spoke to the sons of Chet, saying,
4 I am a sojourner and a stranger
among you, give me therefore possession of a burying-place among you, and I
will bury my dead away from me.
5 And the sons of Chet answered to
Abraam, saying, Not so, Sir, 6 but
hear us; thou art in the midst of us a king from God; bury thy dead in our
choice sepulchres, for not one of us will by any means withhold his sepulchre
from thee, so that thou shouldest not bury thy dead there.
7 And Abraam rose up and did obeisance
to the people of the land, to the sons of Chet.
8 And Abraam spoke to them, saying, If
ye have it in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hearken to
me, and speak for me to Ephron the son of Saar.
9 And let him give me the double cave
which he has, which is in a part of his field, let him give it me for the
money it is worth for possession of a burying-place among you.
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the
midst of the children of Chet, and Ephron the Chettite answered Abraam and
spoke in the hearing of the sons of Chet, and of all who entered the city,
saying, 11 aGr. be with me.Attend to me, my lord, and hear me, I give to thee the field and the cave
which is in it; I have given it thee before all my countrymen; bury thy dead.
12 And Abraam did obeisance before
the people of the land. 13 And he
said in the ears of Ephron before the people of the land, Since thou art on my
side, hear me; take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead
there. 14 But Ephron answered Abraam,
saying, 15 Nay, my lord, I have heard
indeed, the land is worth four hundred silver
didrachms, but what can this be between me and thee? nay, do thou bury thy
dead. 16 And Abraam hearkened to
Ephron, and Abraam rendered to Ephron the money, which he mentioned in the
ears of the sons of Chet, four hundred didrachms of silver approved with
merchants. 17 And the field of
Ephron, which was in Double Cave, which is opposite Mambre, the field and the
cave, which was in it, and every tree which was in the field, and whatever is
in its borders round about, were made sure
18 to Abraam for a possession, before
the sons of Chet, and all that entered into the city.
19 After this Abraam buried Sarrha
his wife in the Double Cave of the field, which is opposite Mambre, this is
Chebron in the land of Chanaan. 20 So
the field and the cave which was in it were made sure to Abraam for possession
of a burying place, by the sons of Chet.