Genesis 23:1-20 NLT

Genesis 23:1-20 NLT [1] When Sarah was 127 years old, [2] she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her. [3] Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders, [4] "Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial." [5] The Hittites replied to Abraham, [6] "Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way." [7] Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites [8] and said, "Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of Zohar [9] to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family." [10] Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town. [11] "No, my lord," he said to Abraham, "please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead." [12] Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land, [13] and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. "No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there." [14] Ephron answered Abraham, [15] "My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead." [16] So Abraham agreed to Ephron's price and paid the amount he had suggested-400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction. [17] So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees. [18] It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate. [19] Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron). [20] So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.

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