Genesis 23

_1-2When Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years old, she died in Kiriath-Arba, better known as Hebron, in the land of Canaan. After Abraham had mourned for her, ₃he went to the Hittites and said, ₄“I live as a foreigner in your land, and I don't own any property where I can bury my wife. Please let me buy a piece of land.”

_5-6“Sir,” they answered, “you are an important man. Choose the best place to bury your wife. None of us would refuse you a resting place for your dead.”

₇Abraham bowed down ₈and replied, “If you are willing to let me bury my wife here, please ask Zohar's son Ephron ₉to sell me Machpelah Cave at the end of his field. I'll pay what it's worth, and all of you can be witnesses.”

₁₀Ephron was sitting there near the city gate, when Abraham made this request, and he answered, ₁₁“Sir, the whole field, including the cave, is yours. With my own people as witnesses, I freely give it to you as a burial place for your dead.”

₁₂Once again, Abraham bowed down ₁₃and said to Ephron, “In front of these witnesses, I offer you the full price, so I can bury my wife. Please accept my offer.”

_14-15“But sir,” the man replied, “the property is worth only four hundred pieces of silver. Why should we haggle over such a small amount? Take the land. It's yours.”

_16-18Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid him the four hundred pieces of silver in front of everyone at the city gate. That's how Abraham got Ephron's property east of Hebron, which included the field with all its trees, as well as Machpelah Cave at the end of the field. ₁₉So Abraham buried his wife Sarah in Machpelah Cave that was in the field ₂₀he had bought from the Hittites.