Genesis 23
Modern English Version
The Death of Sarah
23 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Then Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the Hittites,[a] saying, 4 “I am a stranger and a foreigner among you. Give me property for a burying place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5 So the Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place that you may bury your dead.”
7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He spoke with them, saying, “If it be your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, at the end of his field. Let him give it to me in your presence for the full price for a burial site.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of all the Hittites, all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord. Hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Then Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13 Then he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “Indeed, if you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.”
14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver.[b] What is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron four hundred shekels of silver, the price that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, according to the standard commercial measure.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field that were within all the surrounding borders were deeded 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 before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as property for a burial place.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 23:3 Or the sons of Heth; also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20.
- Genesis 23:15 About 10 pounds, or 4.6 kilograms.
Genesis 23
21st Century King James Version
23 And Sarah was a 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 spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying,
4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession for a burying place 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 choicest of our sepulchers bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, 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 in your mind 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 hath, which is in the end of his field. For as much money as it is worth he shall give it to me as a possession for a burying place 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 who 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 to thee. In the presence of the sons of my people give I it to thee; bury thy dead.”
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
13 And he spoke 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 from 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 between me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead.”
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed the silver for Ephron 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 secured
18 unto Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who 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 secured unto Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the sons of Heth.
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