Genesis 23 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
Genesis 23

¹ Sarah lived to be 127 years old.

² She died in the city of Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham was very sad and cried for her there.

³ Then Abraham left his dead wife and went to talk to the Hittite people. He said,

⁴ “I am only a traveler staying in your country. I have no place to bury my wife. Please give me some land so I can bury my wife.”

⁵ The Hittite people answered Abraham,

⁶ “Sir, you are one of God’s great leaders among us. You can have the best place we have to bury your dead. You can have any of our burying places that you want. None of us will stop you from burying your wife there.”

⁷ Abraham got up and bowed to the people.

⁸ Abraham said to them, “If you truly want to help me bury my dead wife, then speak to Ephron the son of Zohar for me.

⁹ I would like to buy the cave of Machpelah. Ephron owns this. It is at the end of his field. I will pay him the full price—all that it is worth. I want all of you to be witnesses that I am buying it as a burial place.”

¹⁰ Ephron was sitting there among the people. Ephron answered Abraham,

¹¹ “No, sir. Here, in front of all my people, I give you that land and the cave on it so you can bury your wife.”

¹² Abraham bowed before the Hittite people.

¹³ Abraham said to Ephron before all the people, “But I want to pay you the full price for the field. Accept my money, and I will bury my dead.”

¹⁴ Ephron answered Abraham,

¹⁵ “Sir, listen to me. 10 pounds [129] of silver means nothing to you and me! Take the land, and bury your dead wife.”

^16-18 Abraham understood that Ephron was telling him the price of the land. [130] So Abraham paid him for the land. Abraham weighed 10 pounds [131] of silver for Ephron and gave it to the merchant. [132]

¹⁹ After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of that field near Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

²⁰ Abraham bought the field and the cave on it from the Hittite people. This became his property, and he used it as a burying place.