Genesis 23

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 The length of Sarah's life was a hundred and twenty-seven years.	1 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 She died at Kiriath-Arba -- now Hebron -- in the land of Canaan, and Abraham proceeded to mournand bewail her.	2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then rising from beside his dead, Abraham spoke to the Hittites,	3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and said to the Hittites,
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 stranger and a sojourner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,	5 The Hittites answered Abraham,
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, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, or hinder you from burying your dead."
7 At this, Abraham rose and bowed low to the local people, the Hittites,	7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.
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 you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me 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 that he may give me the cave of Mach-pelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a burying place."
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 was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city,
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 "No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead."
12 Abraham bowed low to the local people	12 Then Abraham bowed down before 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 said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you will, hear me; I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there."
14 Ephron replied to Abraham,	14 Ephron answered Abraham,
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 "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? 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 Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
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 So the field of Ephron in Mach-pelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over
18 into Abraham's possession in the sight of the Hittites, of al the inhabitants of his town.	18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in 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 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Mach-pelah east of Mamre (that 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 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the Hittites.