Genesis 23

1 The life of Sarah was 127 years. 2 And Sarah died in the city of Arboc, which lies in the valley — that is, Hebron — in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to lament for Sarah and to mourn. [a] 3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a sojourner and a stranger among you. Give me possession of a burying place among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying, 6 “Not so, sir — hear us. You are a king from God in our midst. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs, for not one of us would withhold his tomb from you, to keep you from burying your dead there.” [b] 7 And Abraham rose and bowed low to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, 8 and spoke to them, saying, “If it is truly your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, then hear me: speak for me to Ephron the son of Saar, [c] 9 and let him give me the Double Cave that belongs to him, which lies in a part of his field. Let him give it to me for its full price in money, as a possession for a burying place among you.” [d]

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth and of all who came into the city, saying, 11 “Hear me, my lord. I give you the field, and the cave that is in it. Before all my countrymen, I have given it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 And Abraham bowed low before the people of the land, 13 and said to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, “Since you are on my side — hear me: take the price of the field from me, and I will bury my dead there.” 14 But Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “No, my lord. I have heard: the land is worth four hundred pieces of silver — about ten pounds of it. But what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” [e] 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and paid him the price he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth: four hundred silver pieces of the kind approved among merchants.

17 So the field of Ephron at the Double Cave, which faces Mamre — the field, and the cave in it, and every tree in the field, everything within all its borders — was made over 18 to Abraham as his possession, before the sons of Heth and all who came into the city. 19 After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the Double Cave of the field, which faces Mamre — that is, Hebron — in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field, and the cave in it, were made sure to Abraham by the sons of Heth, as a possession for a burying place.