The Death of Sarah

1Sarah lived 127 years. 2Then she died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

3Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and said to the sons of Heth, 4“I am a temporary settler among you. Grant me ownership of a burial site among you so that I may bury my dead.”

5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 6“Listen, sir, you are a mighty prince among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you from burying your dead.”

7Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, the sons of Heth. 8Then he said to them, “If you agree that I may bury my dead, then hear me out. Ask Ephron the son of Zohar 9if he will sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly for the full price, so that I may own it as a burial site.”

10(Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite replied to Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate of his city – 11“No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell you both the field and the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

12Abraham bowed before the local people 13and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay to you the price of the field. Take it from me so that I may bury my dead there.”

14Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“Hear me, my lord. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

16So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and weighed out for him the price that Ephron had quoted in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time.

17So Abraham secured Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 18as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city.

19After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site from the sons of Heth.