Abraham: The Covenant

Then he got up from his dead one and said to the sons of Het,

"I am a foreigner living as an alien with you; let me have a burial site with you, so that I can bury my dead wife.

The sons of Het answered Avraham,

"Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us, so choose any of our tombs to bury your dead - not one of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."

Avraham got up, bowed before the people of the land, the sons of Het,

and spoke with them. "If it is your desire to help me bury my dead, then listen to me: ask 'Efron the son of Tzochar

to give me the cave of Makhpelah, which he owns, the one at the end of his field. He should sell it to me in your presence at its full value; then I will have a burial site of my own."

'Efron the Hitti was sitting among the sons of Het, and he gave Avraham his answer in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city:

"No, my lord, listen to me: I'm giving you the field, with its cave - I'm giving it to you. In the presence of my people I give it to you."

Avraham bowed before the people of the land

and spoke to 'Efron in their hearing: "Please be good enough to listen to me. I will pay the price of the field; accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

But 'Efron answered Avraham

"My lord, listen to me. A plot of land worth 400 silver shekels - what is that between me and you? Just bury your dead."

Avraham got the point of what 'Efron had said, so he weighed out for 'Efron the amount of money he had specified in the presence of the sons of Het, 400 silver shekels of the weight accepted among merchants [ten pounds].

Thus the field of 'Efron in Makhpelah, which is by Mamre - the field, its cave and all the trees in and around it - were deeded

to Avraham as his possession in the presence of the sons of Het who belonged to the ruling council of the city.

Then Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena'an

The field and its cave had been purchased by Avraham from the sons of Het as a burial-site which would belong to him.

By now Avraham was old, advanced in years; and ADONAI had blessed Avraham in everything.

Avraham said to the servant who had served him the longest, who was in charge of all he owned, "Put your hand under my thigh;

because I want you to swear by ADONAI, God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from among the women of the Kena'ani, among whom I am living;

but that you will go to my homeland, to my kinsmen, to choose a wife for my son Yitz'chak."

The servant replied, "Suppose the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?"

Avraham said to him, "See to it that you don't bring my son back there.

ADONAI, the God of heaven - who took me away from my father's house and away from the land I was born in, who spoke to me and swore to me, 'I will give this land to your descendants'- he will send his angel ahead of you; and you are to bring a wife for my son from there.