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Sarah dies, and Abraham acquires a burial place for her in Hebron.
The text below is adapted from the ASV.
1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke to the children of Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burial-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you his sepulchre, but that you may bury your dead.
7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, saying, If it is your intent that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and inquire for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is at the end of his field. For the full price, let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burial-place.
10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 No, my lord, hear me. The field I give you; bury your dead.
12 And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke to Ephron 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 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead. 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all its territory all around, were made sure 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field, and the cave that is in it, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burial-place by the sons of Heth.
(23:1) "a hundred twenty-seven years". This would make Abraham one hundred thirty-seven years old, using the ten-year difference found in Genesis 17:17.
(23:5) "sons of Heth". An expression meaning, Hittites, not necessarily the direct sons of a man named Heth.
(23:14) "shekels". A unit of weight, around 11 grams. Fixing a modern equivalent to the price involved is difficult.
ASV. The American Standard Version of the Bible, as printed in 1901 by Thomas Nelson and Sons.
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