the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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George Lamsa Translation
Genesis 23
1 AND Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah.2 And Sarah died at Koriath Gabarey (the Town of the Giants); 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 the bier of his dead and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me the possession of a burial ground with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.5 And the sons of Heth answered and said to Abraham,6 Hear us, our lord; you are a prince of God among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre for the burial of your dead.7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, that is, to the Hittites.8 And he discussed the matter with them and said to them, If you consent that I may bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,9 That he may give me the double cave which belongs to him, which is by the side of his field; let him give it to me for a full price as a possession for a burial ground among you.10 And Ephron dwelt among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the Hittites and in the presence of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,11 No, my lord, listen to me; I will give you the field and the cave which is in it, I will give it to you; in the presence of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.12 And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.13 Then he said to Ephron in the presence of the people of the land, If you are willing, then hearken to me; I will give you money for the price of the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.14 And Ephron answered Abraham and said,15 My lord, hearken to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? You may bury your dead.
16 And Abraham hearkened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the sum of money which he had named in the presence of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, legal tender with the merchants.17 Thus the field of Ephron, which was by the side of the double cave which was before Mamre, that is, the Field of the Cave and the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the field that were on its borders round about were made sure18 And sold to Abraham in the presence of the Hittites and in the presence of all that went in at the gate of his city.19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the double cave which is in the field before Mamre; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.20 Thus the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham for a possession of a burial ground by the Hittites.