The Death and Burial of Sarah 1 UST Sarah lived to be 127 years old. That is how old she was BSB BSB: Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2 UST when she died in{ the city of} Kiriath Arba, which is{ now called} Hebron, in the region of Canaan. Abraham went{ to her} and cried and mourned for her. BSB BSB: She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
3 UST Later he stood up from{ mourning} beside her and{ went} to{ the leaders of} the Hittites{ at the city gates} and said to them, BSB BSB: Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
4 UST “{ As you know,} I{ am} a foreigner who is living among you{ so I do not own any property here}.{ Please} sell me some of your land so I have a place to bury{ the body of} my wife who has died.” BSB BSB: “I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5 UST { The leaders of} the Hittites responded to Abraham, BSB BSB: The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 UST “Sir,{ please} listen to what we propose: You are a powerful man{ living} among us.{ So}{ you may} bury{ the body of} your wife who has died in{ any} one of our best burial sites. All of us are willing for you to use{ any of} our burial sites to bury her.” BSB BSB: “Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 UST Abraham stood up and bowed{ in respect} in front of{ the leaders of} the Hittites, who owned the land{ in the area}. BSB BSB: Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 UST Then he said to them,“If you are willing{ for me} to bury my deceased{ wife}{ here},{ please} help me by asking Ephron the son of Zohar BSB BSB: “If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
9 UST to sell me his cave that is at the edge of his field in the Machpelah{ area}. Ask him to sell it to me for its full price, with{ all of} you{ here} to witness{ the sale}. That way I will have a place where I can bury{ my wife who has died}.” BSB BSB: to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
10 UST Now Ephron the Hittite was sitting{ there at the meeting} among the{ other} Hittite leaders, so he replied to Abraham as the{ other} leaders listened, including everyone who had gathered{ there} at the city gate. He said, BSB BSB: Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
11 UST “That’ s not necessary, sir.{ Please} accept this offer: I{ hereby} give you the{ entire} field, including the cave that{ is} in it. I am giving it to you{ now} as the leaders of my people watch.{ You may} bury your deceased{ wife}{ there}.” BSB BSB: “No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 UST Then Abraham bowed{ again} before the leaders who owned the land{ in the area}. BSB BSB: Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
13 UST As they listened, he said to Ephron,“Rather{ than that}, since you are willing{ to let me have the field}, please accept my offer. I want to pay{ you} the{ full} price for the field.{ Please} let me buy it from you, so that{ it will be mine and} I can bury{ my wife} there who has died.” BSB BSB: and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14 UST Ephron responded to Abraham, BSB BSB: Ephron answered Abraham,
15 UST “Sir,{ please} listen to me. The land{ is worth} about five kilos of silver.{ However} since you and I are friends, there is no need for that.{ Go ahead and} bury your deceased{ wife}{ there}.” BSB BSB: “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 UST Abraham agreed with Ephron’ s price, and he paid Ephron the{ amount of} silver that he had suggested while{ the rest of} the Hittites listened.{ Abraham weighed the} 400 shekels of silver using the standard weights that sellers used{ at that time}. BSB BSB: Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
17 UST So Ephron sold his field{ to Abraham}, including the cave that{ was} in the field, as well as all the trees that{ were} inside its boundaries. The field was in the Machpelah{ area} near{ the city of} Mamre.{ Ephron sold that field} BSB BSB: So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
18 UST to Abraham, and it became his property while the Hittites watched, including everyone who had gathered at the city gate. BSB BSB: to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
19 UST After that, Abraham put{ the body of} his wife Sarah in the cave in that field in the Machpelah{ area} east of{ the city of} Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the region of Canaan. BSB BSB: After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 UST So{ that is how} that field, including the cave that{ was} in the field, was{ officially} sold to Abraham by the Hittites, so that he had a place where he could bury{ his wife who had died}. BSB BSB: So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.