- And the life of Sarrha was an hundred
and twenty-seven years.
- And Sarrha died
in the city of Arboc, which is in the valley,
this is Chebron in the land of Chanaan;
and Abraam came to lament for Sarrha and
to mourn.
- And Abraam stood up from
before his dead; and Abraam spoke to the
sons of Chet, saying,
- I am a sojourner and
a stranger among you, give me therefore
possession of a burying-place among you,
and I will bury my dead away from me.
- And the sons of Chet answered to Abraam,
saying, Not so, Sir,
- but hear us; thou art
in the midst of us a king from God; bury
thy dead in our choice sepulchres, for not
one of us will by any means withhold his
sepulchre from thee, so that thou shouldest
not bury thy dead there.
- And Abraam
rose up and did obeisance to the people of
the land, to the sons of Chet.
- And Abraam
spoke to them, saying, If ye have it in your
mind that I should bury my dead out of my
sight, hearken to me, and speak for me to
Ephron the son of Saar.
- And let him give
me the double cave which he has, which is
in a part of his field, let him give it me for
the money it is worth for possession of a
burying-place among you.
- Now Ephron
was sitting in the midst of the children of
Chet, and Ephron the Chettite answered
Abraam and spoke in the hearing of the
sons of Chet, and of all who entered the
city, saying,
- [a] Attend to me, my lord, and
hear me, I give to thee the field and the cave
which is in it; I have given it thee before
all my countrymen; bury thy dead.
- And
Abraam did obeisance before the people of
the land.
- And he said in the ears of
Ephron before the people of the land, Since
thou art on my side, hear me; take the price
of the field from me, and I will bury my dead
there.
- But Ephron answered Abraam,
saying,
- Nay, my lord, I have heard indeed, the
land is worth four hundred silver didrachms,
but what can this be between me and thee?
nay, do thou bury thy dead.
- And Abraam
hearkened to Ephron, and Abraam rendered
to Ephron the money, which he mentioned
in the ears of the sons of Chet, four hundred
didrachms of silver approved with merchants.
- And the field of Ephron, which was in
Double Cave, which is opposite Mambre, the
field and the cave, which was in it, and every
tree which was in the field, and whatever is
in its borders round about, were made sure
- to Abraam for a possession, before the sons
of Chet, and all that entered into the city.
- After this Abraam buried Sarrha his wife
in the Double Cave of the field, which is
opposite Mambre, this is Chebron in the land
of Chanaan.
- So the field and the cave which
was in it were made sure to Abraam for
possession of a burying place, by the sons of Chet.
[a] Gr. be with me.
[English translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee
Brenton (1807-1862) originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons,
Ltd., London, 1851]