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Genesis 23
English Standard Version
Genesis 23
English Standard Version
Sarah's Death and Burial
23 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at (A)Kiriath-arba (that is, (B)Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites,[a] 4 (C)“I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; (D)give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God[b] among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who (E)went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred (F)shekels[c] of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham (G)weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
17 So (H)the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it (I)were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:3 Hebrew sons of Heth; also verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20
- Genesis 23:6 Or a mighty prince
- Genesis 23:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
Genèse 23
La Bible du Semeur
Genèse 23
La Bible du Semeur
L’achat d’un terrain dans le pays de Canaan
23 Sara vécut cent vingt-sept ans. 2 Elle mourut à Qiryath-Arba, c’est-à-dire Hébron, dans le pays de Canaan. Abraham célébra ses funérailles et la pleura. 3 Puis il se leva de l’endroit où reposait le corps de sa femme et alla parler aux Hittites[a]. 4 Il leur dit : Je ne suis qu’un étranger chez vous ; accordez-moi parmi vous une propriété[b] funéraire pour que je puisse enterrer ma femme qui est morte.
5 Les Hittites répondirent à Abraham : 6 Ecoute-nous, mon seigneur, nous te considérons comme un prince de Dieu au milieu de nous. Ensevelis le corps de ta femme dans la meilleure de nos tombes. Aucun de nous ne te refusera un tombeau pour ensevelir ta femme.
7 Alors Abraham s’avança et se prosterna devant les Hittites qui habitaient le pays. 8 Puis il leur dit : Puisque vous me permettez d’enterrer le corps de ma femme, faites-moi la faveur de prier Ephrôn, fils de Tsohar, 9 de me céder la caverne de Makpéla qui lui appartient et qui se trouve à l’extrémité de son champ. Qu’il me l’accorde en propriété funéraire en votre présence contre sa pleine valeur en argent.
10 Or Ephrôn le Hittite siégeait parmi eux. Il répondit à Abraham devant tous les Hittites qui venaient à la porte de sa ville : 11 Non, mon seigneur, écoute-moi. Je te donne le champ et la caverne qui s’y trouve. Je t’en fais don en présence des gens de mon peuple pour que tu y ensevelisses le corps de ta femme.
12 Abraham s’inclina profondément devant les gens de la région 13 et il répondit à Ephrôn de façon à être entendu par tous : S’il te plaît, écoute-moi à ton tour. Permets-moi de te payer le prix du champ. Accepte-le de ma part et j’y ensevelirai le corps de ma femme.
14 Alors Ephrôn reprit : 15 Mon seigneur, écoute-moi. Que représente entre nous une terre qui vaut quatre cents pièces d’argent ? Prends-la donc et ensevelis le corps de ta femme.
16 Abraham accepta la proposition d’Ephrôn et lui pesa la somme qu’il avait mentionnée en présence des autres Hittites, à savoir quatre cents pièces d’argent suivant le cours usuel.
17 De la sorte, le terrain d’Ephrôn, qui est à Makpéla, vis-à-vis de Mamré, ainsi que la caverne qui s’y trouvait et tous les arbres sur le terrain et ceux qui l’entouraient passèrent 18 en propriété à Abraham en présence des Hittites et de tous ceux qui étaient venus à la porte de sa ville. 19 Après quoi, Abraham ensevelit sa femme Sara dans la caverne du champ de Makpéla, vis-à-vis de Mamré, c’est-à-dire d’Hébron, dans le pays de Canaan. 20 Les Hittites garantirent à Abraham la propriété du champ et de la caverne pour qu’il y enterre ses morts.
Footnotes
- 23.3 Ce nom s’applique aux descendants de Heth qui habitaient ce qui deviendra le pays d’Israël, en particulier la région d’Hébron. Selon certains, ces Hittites n’ont aucun lien avec les Hittites qui, de 1800 à 1200 av. J.-C., ont régné, en Asie Mineure, sur un grand empire qui s’est étendu jusqu’en Syrie et au Liban. Pour d’autres, ces deux groupes hittites ont une origine lointaine commune.
- 23.4 La propriété contenant le tombeau de Sara sera la première possession d’Abraham dans le pays promis. Son acquisition attestait sa foi dans la promesse divine : il voulait que sa femme soit enterrée là où ses descendants séjourneraient. Voir Ac 7.16 ; Hé 11.9, 13.
Genesis 23
New International Version
Genesis 23
New International Version
The Death of Sarah
23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba(A) (that is, Hebron)(B) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.(C)
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.[a](D) He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger(E) among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.(F)”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince(G) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar(H) on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah,(I) which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”
10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites(J) who had come to the gate(K) of his city. 11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give[b](L) you the field, and I give[c] you the cave that is in it. I give[d] it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[e] of silver,(M) but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,(N) according to the weight current among the merchants.(O)
17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah(P) near Mamre(Q)—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded 18 to Abraham as his property(R) in the presence of all the Hittites(S) who had come to the gate(T) of the city. 19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah(U) near Mamre (which is at Hebron(V)) in the land of Canaan.(W) 20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded(X) to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.(Y)
Footnotes
- Genesis 23:3 Or the descendants of Heth; also in verses 5, 7, 10, 16, 18 and 20
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:11 Or sell
- Genesis 23:15 That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
Genesis 23
King James Version
Genesis 23
King James Version
23 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
8 And he communed with them, saying, If 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 Zohar,
9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
11 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.
12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed 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.
17 And 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 made sure
18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 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.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.