SARAH DIED (23:1-20)

1After that Abraham's wife, that Sarah, died. She was very old, having 127 years. She passed away there, at Hebron, in the country Canaan. Abraham cried for her.

3After crying for her he went to the bosses of the town. (Those men were Hittites [lit. 'Yiti's-plural'].) Abraham talked to those people.

4“You know me. I came from far away. This is not my country. I am like a stranger/foreigner. My wife has died. Please give me land, there I will put the dead one.”

5“Yes, you choose a cave. You are an important boss. Choose a good cave, there you will put your wife. We will not withhold land from you.”

7Abraham bowed down to them.

8He said to them, “Please speak to the man, Zohar's son, Ephron.

9You might ask him to give me a cave in what's-that-place, in Machpelah. That cave is on his land. I will give whatever money he wants for that. I will give the money here, you all will see. After that that cave will become mine.”

10That man Ephron was sitting there among them. He told Abraham, while other men were listening, “Old man, I will give you that cave, that land close to the cave also. You will put your wife there. All the men here heard what I said.”

12Again Abraham bowed down to the men of the land.

13He said to Ephron, “No. I will give you money for that land. Take this money from me. After that that land will be mine, I will put the dead one there.”

14That Ephron said to him, “Old man, please listen to me. I might ask you to give me 400 (pieces of) money, but no. I will give the land to you, just take it for no money. You should put your dead one in the cave.”

16“No, I will truly give you the money.” Right then Abraham gave Ephron 400 (pieces of) money, in accordance with Ephron's word.

17Therefore that cave in Machpelah became Abraham's, that land near the cave and all the trees on that land also. Those important bosses were watching. They all knew, Abraham got that land with money.

19After that Abraham put his dead wife in that cave, in the cave at Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the country Canaan.

20In that way that cave and land near the cave became Abraham's forever, for a grave.