1 Quando Sara tinha 127 anos, morreu em Hebrom, na terra de Canaã. Abraão sentiu muito a sua perda e chorou.3 E ali mesmo, ao lado do corpo de Sara, pôs-se de pé e disse aos homens de Hete.4 Como sou estrangeiro aqui nesta terra, não tenho um sítio onde sepultar a minha mulher. Vendam-me, por favor, um pedaço de terra para isso.5 Sem dúvida!, responderam-lhe. Tu, no nosso meio, és como um príncipe de Deus. Para nós será um privilégio que escolhas nesta terra a melhor das sepulturas, para lá pores a tua falecida mulher.7 Abraão inclinou-se profundamente e disse: Se é então essa a vossa atitude, façam-me o favor de pedir a Efrom, o filho de Zoar, que me venda a cova de Macpela, que está na extremidade do seu campo. Pagar-lhe-ei o devido preço por isso.10 Efrom estava sentado ali, no meio da gente de Hete. Por isso se levantou e publicamente, diante de todos os habitantes da terra e de todos os que circulavam pela cidade, disse: Ouve-me, eu dou-te não só a cova, mas até o campo todo, sem teres nada a pagar. Aqui, diante dos meus concidadãos afirmo que te dou isso sem te pedir preço algum. Podes lá ir à vontade sepultar a tua mulher.12 Abrahão tornou a inclinar-se diante de todos e respondeu a Efrom, enquanto os outros o ouviam atentamente: Não, deixa-me que to compre. Dou-te pelo campo o preço que combinarmos e só então enterrarei a minha mulher.14 Pois bem. A terra vale 4,5 quilos de prata. Mas para dois amigos como nós isso não interessa. Vai sem preocupação enterrar o teu morto.16 No entanto Abraão fez questão de lhe pagar o preço que ele tinha sugerido, e assim pagou-lhe os 4,5 quilos de prata, conforme a moeda corrente entre os mercadores e tal como tinha sido combinado publicamente.17 Por esse preço Abraão adquiriu o campo de Efrom, em Macpela, perto de Mamre, e a cova na extremidade da propriedade e mais todas as árvores plantadas no campo. Tornou-se pois dono desse terreno por acordo mútuo e publicamente, diante de todos os cidadãos de Hete, na praça pública da povoação.19 Abraão enterrou ali Sara, na cova do campo de Macpela, perto de Hebrom, na terra de Canaã, conforme acordo feito com o povo de Hete.

1 And Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,6 Hear us, my lord; thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchers bury thy dead: none of us will withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.8 And he communed with them, saying, If it is your mind that I should 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 cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me, for a possession of a burying-place among you.10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, of all that entered the gates of his city, saying,11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I to thee, and the cave that is in it, I give it to thee; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to thee: bury thy dead.12 And Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land.13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field: take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,15 My lord, hearken to me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.16 And Abraham hearkened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure18 To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that entered the gate of his city.19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.20 And the field, and the cave that is in it were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a burying-place, by the sons of Heth.