Gênesis 23

¹ When Sarah was an hundreth twentie and seuen yeere olde ( so long liued she).

² Then Sarah dyed in Kiriath-arba: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan; Abraham came to mourne for Sarah and to weepe for her.

³ And AbrahamThat is, when he had mourned: so the godly may mourn if they do not pass measure, and the natural affection is commendable.stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

⁴ I am a stranger, & a forreiner among you, giue me a possession of buriall with you, that I may burie my dead out of my sight.

⁵ Then the Hittites answered Abraham, saying vnto him,

⁶ Hear us, my lord: thou [art] aThat is godly or excellent: for so do the Hebrews speak of all things that are notable, because all excellency comes from God.mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

⁷ Then Abraham stoode vp, and bowed him selfe before the people of the land of the Hittites.

⁸ And he communed with them, saying, If it be your minde, that I shall bury my dead out of my sight, heare me, and intreate for me to Ephron the sonne of Zohar,

⁹ That he would giue me ye caue of Machpelah, which he hath in the ende of his field: that he would giue it me for as much money as it is worth, for a possession to bury in among you.

¹⁰ And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, [even] of all thatMeaning all the citizens and inhabitants.went in at the gate of his city, saying,

¹¹ No, my Lorde, heare me: the fielde giue I thee, and the caue, that therein is, I giue it thee: euen in the presence of the sonnes of my people giue I it thee, to bury thy dead.

¹² And AbrahamTo show that he had them in good estimation and reverence.bowed down himself before the people of the land.

¹³ And spake vnto Ephron in the audience of the people of the countrey, saying, Seeing thou wilt giue it, I pray thee, heare me, I will giue the price of the fielde: receiue it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

¹⁴ Ephron then answered Abraham, saying vnto him,

¹⁵ My lord, hearken unto me: the land [is worth] four hundredThe common shekel is about 20 pence, so then 400 shekels is equal to 33 pounds, 6 shillings and 8 pence at 5 shilling sterling to the ounce.shekels of silver; what [is] that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

¹⁶ So Abraham hearkened vnto Ephron, and Abraham weyed to Ephron the siluer, which he had named, in the audience of the Hittites, euen foure hundreth siluer shekels of currant money among marchants.

¹⁷ So the fielde of Ephron which was in Machpelah, and ouer against Mamre, euen the field and the caue that was therein, and all the trees that were in the fielde, which were in all the borders round about, was made sure

¹⁸ Vnto Abraham for a possession, in ye sight of the Hittites, euen of all that went in at the gates of his citie.

¹⁹ And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the caue of the fielde of Machpelah ouer against Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

²⁰ And the field, and the cave that [is] therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplaceThat is, all the people confirmed the sale.by the sons of Heth.