1    2   Sarah lived for a hundred and twenty-seven years, ^note and died in Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron, in Canaan. Abraham went in to mourn over Sarah and to weep for her. 3   At last he rose and left the presence of the dead. 4   He said to the Hittites, ^note ‘I am an alien and a settler among you. Give me land enough for a burial-place, so that I can give my dead proper burial.’ 5    6   The Hittites answered Abraham, ‘Do, pray, listen to what we have to say, sir. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the best grave we have. There is not one of us who will deny you his grave or hinder you from burying your dead.’ 7   Abraham stood up and then bowed low to the Hittites, the people of that country. 8   He said to them, ‘If you are willing to let me give my dead proper burial, then listen to me and speak for me to Ephron son of Zohar, 9   asking him to give me the cave that belongs to him at Machpelah, at the far end of his land. Let him give it to me for the full price, so that I may take possession of it as a burial-place within your territory.’ 10   Ephron the Hittite was sitting with the others, and he gave Abraham this answer in the hearing of everyone as they came into the city gate: ‘No, sir; hear what I have to say. 11   I will make you a gift of the land and I will also give you the cave which is on it. In the presence of all my kinsmen I give it to you; so bury your dead.’ 12   Abraham bowed 13   low before the people of the country and said to Ephron in their hearing, ‘If you really mean it—but do listen to me! I give you the price of the land: take it and I will bury my dead there.’ 14   And Ephron answered, ‘Do listen to me, sir: 15   the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. But what is that between you and me? There you may bury your dead.’ 16   Abraham came to an agreement with him and weighed out the amount that Ephron had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of the standard recognized by merchants. 17   Thus the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah to the east of Mamre, the plot, the cave that is on it, every tree on the plot, within the whole area, 18   became the legal possession of Abraham, in the presence of all the Hittites as they came into the city gate. 19   After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave on the plot of land at Machpelah to the east of Mamre, which is Hebron, in Canaan. 20   Thus the plot and the cave on it became Abraham's possession as a burial-place, by purchase from the Hittites.

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