The Holy Bible · Genesis

Genesis 23

← Genesis 22  Â·  Genesis: all chapters  Â·  Genesis 24 →

Read this chapter with the Hebrew and Greek compared →

1Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty-seven years.

2Sarah died in the city of Arbok, which is in the hollow, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to lament Sarah and mourn.

3Abraham rose from his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth:

4“I am a sojourner and a temporary resident among you. Give me burial property among you, and I will bury my dead away from me.”

5The sons of Heth answered Abraham,

6“No, lord; hear us. You are a king from God among us. Bury your dead in our choicest tombs; none of us will withhold his tomb from you for burying your dead there.”

7Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

8Abraham spoke to them: “If you are willing that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and speak for me to Ephron son of Zohar,

9and let him give me his double cave, which is in a part of his field. For its proper value in silver, let him give it to me among you as burial property.”

10Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth and all who entered the city:

11“Come to my side, lord, and hear me. I give you the field and the cave in it. Before all my fellow citizens I have given it to you. Bury your dead.”

12Abraham bowed before the people of the land.

13He said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “Since you are on my side, hear me. Take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

14Ephron answered Abraham,

15“No, lord, I have heard. Land worth four hundred didrachms of silver—what would that be between me and you? Bury your dead.”

16Abraham listened to Ephron and paid him the silver he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth: four hundred didrachms of silver approved by merchants.

17So Ephron's field at the Double Cave, facing Mamre—the field, its cave, and every tree within its surrounding boundaries—was established

18to Abraham as a possession before the sons of Heth and all who entered the city.

19Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field, opposite Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

20The field and its cave were ratified to Abraham as burial property from the sons of Heth.

---

← Genesis 22  Â·  Genesis: all chapters  Â·  Genesis 24 →

Read this chapter with the Hebrew and Greek compared →

Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.