Genesis 23:1-10

Common English Bible

Sarah’s death and burial site

23 Sarah lived to be 127 years old; this was how long she lived. ² She died in Kiriath-arba, that is, in Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham cried out in grief and wept for Sarah. ³ After he got up from embracing his deceased wife, he spoke with the Hittites: ⁴ “I am an immigrant and a temporary resident with you. Give me some property for a burial plot among you so that I can bury my deceased wife near me.”

⁵ The Hittites responded to Abraham, ⁶ “Listen to us, sir. You are an eminent man of God among us. Bury your dead in one of our own select burial sites. None of us will keep our own burial plots from you to bury your dead.”

⁷ Abraham rose, bowed to the local citizens the Hittites, ⁸ and spoke with them: “If you yourselves allow me to bury my dead near me, listen to me and ask Ephron, Zohar’s son, ⁹ to give me his own cave in Machpelah at the edge of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price, to be witnessed by you, as my own burial property.”

¹⁰ Now Ephron was a native Hittite. So Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham publicly in order that the Hittites and everyone at his city’s gate could hear: