Genesis 23

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The length of Sarah's life was a hundred and twenty-seven years.	1 Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years.
2 She died at Kiriath-Arba -- now Hebron -- in the land of Canaan, and Abraham proceeded to mournand bewail her.	2 And she died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.
3 Then rising from beside his dead, Abraham spoke to the Hittites,	3 And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:
4 'I am a stranger resident here,' he said. 'Let me have a burial site of my own here, so that I canremove my dead for burial.'	4 “I am a newcomer and a sojourner among you. Give me the right of a sepulcher among you, so that I may bury my dead.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,	5 The sons of Heth responded by saying:
6 'Please listen to us, my lord, we regard you as a prince of God; bury your dead in the best of ourtombs; not one of us would refuse you his tomb for you to bury your dead.'	6 “Hear us, O lord, you are a leader of God among us. Bury your dead in our chosen sepulchers. And no man shall be able to prohibit you from burying your dead within his memorial.”
7 At this, Abraham rose and bowed low to the local people, the Hittites,	7 Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth.
8 and pleaded with them as fol ows, 'If you consent to my removing my dead for burial, you must agreeto intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar,	8 And he said to them: “If it pleases your soul that I should bury my dead, hear me, and intercede on my behalf with Ephron, the son of Zohar,
9 for him to let me have the cave he owns at Machpelah, which is on the edge of his field. Let him sel itto me in your presence at its ful price, for a burial site of my own.'	9 so that he may give me the double cave, which he has at the far end of his field. He may transfer it to me for as much money as it is worth in your sight, for the possession of a sepulcher.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearingof the Hittites, of al the inhabitants of his town.	10 Now Ephron dwelt in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron responded to Abraham in the hearing of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city, saying:
11 'No, my lord, listen to me,' he said. 'I give you the field and the cave in it; I make this gift in thepresence of my kinsmen. Bury your dead.'	11 “Let it never be so, my lord, but you should pay greater heed to what I say. The field I will transfer to you, and the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people, bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed low to the local people	12 Abraham reverenced in the sight of the people of the land.
13 and, in the hearing of the local people, replied to Ephron as fol ows, 'Be good enough to listen to me.I shal pay the price of the field; accept it from me and I shal bury my dead there.'	13 And he spoke to Ephron, standing in the midst of the people: “I ask you to hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it, and so I will bury my dead in it.”
14 Ephron replied to Abraham,	14 And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me.
15 'Please listen to me, my lord. What is a plot of land for four hundred shekels of silver between meand you? Bury your dead.'	15 The land that you request is worth four hundred shekels of silver. This is the price between me and you. But how much is this? Bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver he hadstipulated in the hearing of the Hittites, namely four hundred shekels of silver, according to the currentcommercial rate.	16 And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had requested, in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, of the approved public currency.
17 Thus Ephron's field at Machpelah, facing Mamre -- the field and the cave in it and al the treesanywhere within the boundaries of the field -- passed	17 And having confirmed that the field, in which there was a double cave overlooking Mamre, formerly belonged to Ephron, both it and the sepulcher, and all its trees, with all its surrounding limits,
18 into Abraham's possession in the sight of the Hittites, of al the inhabitants of his town.	18 Abraham took it as a possession, in the sight of the sons of Heth and of everyone who was entering at the gate of his city.
19 And after this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre --now Hebron -- in the land of Canaan.	19 So then, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the double cave of the field that overlooked Mamre. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
20 And so the field and the cave in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham's possession as a burial siteof his own.	20 And the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.