Restored English Translation of Genesis: Chapter 23

G’day!  Today I present my Restored English Translation (RET) of Beresheet (Genesis) chapter 23.  As usual, it contains the Hebrew names and a glossary of them.  At the very end are the Aleph Tavs, which are no longer included in the main text.

CHAPTER 23

1 And the life of Sarah was 127 years; the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kiryat Arba (the same is Chevron in the land of Kena’an). And Avraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Avraham stood up from before his dead and spoke to the Chittim, saying, 4 “I am a stranger and a visitor with you. Give me a sepulchre for possession among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 And the Chittim answered Avraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my master. You are a prince of ELOHIM among us. Bury your dead in the best of our sepulchres. A man of us will not withhold his sepulchre from you, from burying your dead.” 7 And Avraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the Chittim. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your desire that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and ask for me to Efron son of Tsachar, 9 that he may give to me the cave of Makpelah, which he has, which is in the edge of his field. Let him give it to me for a possession of a burying place among you, for full silver.” 10 And Efron was sitting among the Chittim. And Efron the Chitti answered Avraham in the ears of the Chittim, to all those entering the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my master, hear me. The field I give to you, and the cave that is in it I give to you. In the presence of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 And Avraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and spoke to Efron in the presence of the people of the land, saying, “Only if you would hear me. I have given the silver for the field. Take it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 And Efron answered Avraham, saying to him, 15 “My master, hear me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? And bury your dead.” 16 And Avraham listened to Efron. And Avraham weighed to Efron the silver of which he had spoken in the ears of the Chittim, 400 shekels of silver which passes with the merchant. 17 And the field of Efron, which was in Makpelah, 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 certified 18 to Avraham for a possession in the presence of the Chittim, all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this Avraham buried his wife Sarah at the cave of the field of Makpelah before Mamre (which is Chevron in the land of Kena’an). 20 And the field and the cave that is within were made certified for a possession of a burying place to Avraham from the Chittim.

Glossary

Kiryat Arba – Kirjath-Arba

Chevron – Hebron

Kena’an – Canaan

Avraham – Abraham

Chittim – Hittites

ELOHIM – God

Efron – Ephron

Tsachar – Zohar

Makpelah – Machpelah

Verse 5: And answered the Chittim את Avraham, saying to him,

Verse 6: “Hear us, my master. You are a prince of ELOHIM among us. In the best of our sepulchres bury את your dead. A man of us will not withhold his sepulchre from you, from burying your dead.”

Verse 8: And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your desire that I should bury את my dead out of my sight, hear me and ask for me to Efron son of Tsachar,

Verse 9: that he may give to me את the cave of Makpelah, which he has, which is in the edge of his field. Let him give it to me for a possession of a burying place among you, for full silver.”

Verse 10: And Efron was sitting among the Chittim. And answered Efron the Chitti את Avraham in the ears of the Chittim, to all those entering the gate of his city, saying,

Verse 13: and spoke to Efron in the presence of the people of the land, saying, “Only if you would hear me. I have given the silver for the field. Take it from me, that I may bury את my dead there.”

Verse 14: And answered Efron את Avraham, saying to him,

Verse 15: “My master, hear me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver; what is that between me and you? And את your dead bury.”

Verse 16: And Avraham listened to Efron. And weighed Avraham to Efron את the silver of which he had spoken in the ears of the Chittim, 400 shekels of silver which passes with the merchant.

Verse 19: And after this buried Avraham את Sarah his wife at the cave of the field of Makpelah before Mamre (which is Chevron in the land of Kena’an).