Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys a Cave to Bury Her

23:1-20

23 Now the life of Sarah was 127 years; the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Then Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham got up from beside his dead one, and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a foreigner and a sojourner among you. Give to me property for a burial place among you, so that I can bury my dead from before me.” 5 Then the sons of Heth replied to Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Listen to us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. Each of us will not withhold from you his burial place to bury your dead.”

7 Then Abraham got up and bowed to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, 8 and he said to them, saying, “If it is your will to bury my dead from before me, listen to me and intercede for me with Ephron, the son of Zohar, 9 so that he will give to me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field. For full price let him give it to me among you as property for a burial place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, so Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, for everyone who had come to the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord. Listen to me: I give to you the field, and I give to you the cave that is in it. I give it to you before the eyes of the sons of my people. Bury your dead.”

12 Then Abraham bowed before the people of the land, 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land, saying, “But if you would, please listen to me. I will give the price of 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. Land worth 400 shekels of silver, between me and you, what is that? So bury your dead.” 16 So Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price that he had mentioned in the ears of the sons of Heth, 400 shekels of silver, the currency among the merchants.

17 So the field of Ephron that was in Machpelah which was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and every tree that was in the field, that was within all of its surrounding borders, was deeded 18 to Abraham as his possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, before everyone who had come to the gate of his city. 19 Then after that, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded to Abraham as property for a burial place from the sons of Heth.