Genesis 23 - Hebrew Names version (HNV)

¹ Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. This was the length of Sarah's life.

² Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba (the same is Chevron), in the land of Kena`an. Avraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

³ Avraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Chet, saying,

⁴ *I am a stranger and a foreigner living with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.*

⁵ The children of Chet answered Avraham, saying to him,

⁶ *Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb. Bury your dead.*

⁷ Avraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Chet.

⁸ He talked with them, saying, *If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to `Efron the son of Tzochar,

⁹ that he may give me the cave of Makhpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me among you for a possession of a burying-place.*

¹⁰ Now `Efron was sitting in the middle of the children of Chet. `Efron the Chittite answered Avraham in the hearing of the children of Chet, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

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 children of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.*

¹² Avraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³ He spoke to `Efron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, *But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.*

¹⁴ `Efron answered Avraham, saying to him,

¹⁵ *My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.*

¹⁶ Avraham listened to `Efron. Avraham weighed to `Efron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Chet, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants' standard.

¹⁷ So the field of `Efron, which was in Makhpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded

¹⁸ to Avraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Chet, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹ After this, Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpelah before Mamre (that is, Chevron), in the land of Kena`an.

²⁰ The field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded to Avraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Chet.