THE BURIAL OF SARAH.

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old thesewere the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died inKirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan andAbraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto thesons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you:give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may burymy dead out of my sight.

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in thechoice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withholdfrom thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of theland, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them,saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of mysight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, whichis in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth heshall give it me for a possession of a burying-place amongstyou.

And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron theHittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth,even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, mylord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that istherein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my peoplegive I it thee: bury thy dead.

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of theland, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: Iwill give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I willbury my dead there.

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearkenunto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver: whatis that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed toEphron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sonsof Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with themerchant.

And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which wasbefore Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and allthe trees that were in the field, that were in all the bordersround about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in thepresence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at thegate of his city.

And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave ofthe field of Machpelah before Mamre; the same is Hebron in theland of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, weremade sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by thesons of Heth.—Genesis xxiii.