Genesis 23

Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of Sarah’s life. Sarah died at Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the sons of Heth: “I am a resident foreigner among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” The sons of Heth answered Abraham, “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. He said to them, “If you agree that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and appeal to Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf, so that he will give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price in silver, in your presence, as property for a burial place.” Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city: “No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” Abraham bowed before the people of the land and spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land: “But please, listen to me. I will give you the price of the field in silver. Accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.” Ephron answered Abraham, “My lord, listen to me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, about ten pounds—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham agreed with Ephron and weighed out for him the silver he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, about ten pounds, at the weight accepted by merchants. So Ephron’s field at Machpelah, facing Mamre—the field, the cave in it, and all the trees throughout its boundaries— became Abraham’s purchased possession in the sight of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave in it passed from the sons of Heth to Abraham as property for a burial place.

Rights and attribution