Genesis 23

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Now Sarah lived for one hundred and twenty-seven years.	1 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
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.	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 And when he had risen up from the funeral duties, he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying:	3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and said to the Hittites,
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.”	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 sons of Heth responded by saying:	5 The Hittites answered Abraham,
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.”	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 Abraham arose, and he reverenced the people of the land, namely, the sons of Heth.	7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.
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,	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 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.”	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 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:	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 “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.”	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 reverenced in the sight of the people of the land.	12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.
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.”	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 And Ephron responded: “My lord, hear me.	14 Ephron answered Abraham,
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.”	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 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.	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 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,	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 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.	18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
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.	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 the field was confirmed to Abraham, with the cave that was in it, as a memorial possession before the sons of Heth.	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.