Sarah Dies and Abraham Buys Some Land to Bury Her Body

23:1-20

23 Sarah lived to be 127 years old. That is how old she was 2 when she died in the city of Kiriath Arba, which is now called Hebron, in the region of Canaan. Abraham went to her and cried and mourned for her. 3 Later he stood up from mourning beside her and went to the leaders of the Hittites at the city gates and said to them, 4 “As you know, I am a foreigner who is living among you so I do not own any property here. Please sell me some of your land so I have a place to bury the body of my wife who has died.” 5 The leaders of the Hittites responded to Abraham, 6 “Sir, please listen to what we propose: You are a powerful man living among us. So you may bury the body of your wife who has died in any one of our best burial sites. All of us are willing for you to use any of our burial sites to bury her.”

7 Abraham stood up and bowed in respect in front of the leaders of the Hittites, who owned the land in the area. 8 Then he said to them, “If you are willing for me to bury my deceased wife here, please help me by asking Ephron the son of Zohar 9 to sell me his cave that is at the edge of his field in the Machpelah area. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, with all of you here to witness the sale. That way I will have a place where I can bury my wife who has died.” 10 Now Ephron the Hittite was sitting there at the meeting among the other Hittite leaders, so he replied to Abraham as the other leaders listened, including everyone who had gathered there at the city gate. He said, 11 “That’s not necessary, sir. Please accept this offer: I hereby give you the entire field, including the cave that is in it. I am giving it to you now as the leaders of my people watch. You may bury your deceased wife there.”

12 Then Abraham bowed again before the leaders who owned the land in the area. 13 As they listened, he said to Ephron, “Rather than that, since you are willing to let me have the field, please accept my offer. I want to pay you the full price for the field. Please let me buy it from you, so that it will be mine and I can bury my wife there who has died.” 14 Ephron responded to Abraham, 15 “Sir, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. However since you and I are friends, there is no need for that. Go ahead and bury your deceased wife there.” 16 Abraham agreed with Ephron’s price, and he paid Ephron the amount of silver that he had suggested while the rest of the Hittites listened. Abraham weighed the 400 shekels of silver using the standard weights that sellers used at that time.

17 So Ephron sold his field to Abraham, including the cave that was in the field, as well as all the trees that were inside its boundaries. The field was in the Machpelah area near the city of Mamre. Ephron sold that field 18 to Abraham, and it became his property while the Hittites watched, including everyone who had gathered at the city gate. 19 After that, Abraham put the body of his wife Sarah in the cave in that field in the Machpelah area east of the city of Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the region of Canaan. 20 So that is how that field, including the cave that was in the field, was officially sold to Abraham by the Hittites, so that he had a place where he could bury his wife who had died.