Sarah

1Sarah lived to be 127 years old. That was the whole length of her life.

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.

NotePeople in these very old stories often lived much longer than people do now.

2Sarah died in Kirjatharba. That town is also called Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to cry for her.

And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

NoteTo mourn means to show how sad you are when someone has died. The town had two names, Kirjatharba and Hebron. Canaan was the land where Abraham lived as a visitor.

3Then Abraham stood up from beside her body. He spoke to the sons of Heth, the people of that land. He said,

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

NoteThe sons of Heth were a people called Hittites. This land belonged to them, not to Abraham.

4"I am a stranger here. I only live among you for a time. Please give me a piece of ground for a grave. Then I can bury my dead wife out of my sight."

I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

NoteAbraham owned no land here at all. He lived in tents and moved from place to place. So he had to ask the owners before he could bury Sarah.

5The sons of Heth answered Abraham. They said to him,

And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6"Listen to us, sir. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the best of our graves. Not one of us will keep his grave from you. You may bury your dead."

Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

NoteCalling someone "my lord" was a polite way to speak, like saying sir. A prince here means a great and honored leader. Their graves were caves cut into rock. One family would use the same cave for many years.

7Then Abraham stood up and bowed low to the people of that land, the sons of Heth.

And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

NoteBowing low meant bending down toward the ground. It was a polite way to show respect.

8He talked with them and said, "If you are willing for me to bury my dead out of my sight, then listen to me. Please ask Ephron son of Zohar for me."

And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

9"Ask him to give me the cave of Machpelah. It belongs to him. It is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me for all it is worth. Then it will be my own burial place among you."

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 buryingplace amongst you.

NoteAbraham wanted to pay the full price for the cave. He did not want it as a gift. Then no one could ever say the land was not really his.

10Ephron was sitting there among the sons of Heth. So Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham where they all could hear. Every man who came in at the city gate heard him. He said,

And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

NoteThe city gate was where people met to do business. A deal made there had many people watching, so everyone knew it was real.

11"No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field. I give you the cave that is in it too. I give it to you in front of my people. Go and bury your dead."

Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

NoteIn that time people often offered a thing as a gift first. Both men knew a price would still be paid in the end.

12Then Abraham bowed low again before the people of that land.

And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13He spoke to Ephron where all the people could hear. He said, "If only you would listen to me. I will give you money for the field. Take it from me. Then I will bury my dead there."

And he spake unto 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.

NoteThere were no coins yet. People paid with pieces of silver.

14Ephron answered Abraham. He said to him,

And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15"Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? Go and bury your dead."

My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

NoteA shekel was a small weight of silver, about eleven grams. Four hundred shekels was a lot of money for one field.

16Abraham listened to Ephron. He weighed out the silver Ephron had named. The sons of Heth heard him name it. It was four hundred shekels of silver, the weight that traders used.

And Abraham hearkened unto 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.

NoteSilver was weighed on a scale to see how much it was worth. Traders everywhere used the same weights, so no one got cheated.

17So Ephron's field at Machpelah, near Mamre, now truly belonged to Abraham. That meant the field, the cave in it, and all the trees inside its borders.

And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

NoteEven the trees were named out loud. A sale listed everything on the land, so no one could argue about it later.

18It became Abraham's own, in front of the sons of Heth. All the men who came in at the city gate saw it.

Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah. He laid her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. That place is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

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.

20So the field and the cave in it truly belonged to Abraham. The sons of Heth made it his own burial place.

And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

NoteThis little field was the only land Abraham ever owned in Canaan.

1Listen to me, you who try hard to do what is right. Listen, you who look for the LORD. Look at the rock you were cut from. Look at the pit you were dug out of.

Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

NoteLORD in capital letters is God's own special name. Long ago workers cut big blocks of stone out of rocky ground. Being cut from a rock is a picture of where you came from. God is telling the people to remember their family long ago.

2Look at Abraham, the father of your family long ago. Look at Sarah, who gave birth to your family. When I called Abraham, he was only one man. Then I blessed him and gave him many children.

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

NoteAbraham and Sarah lived a very long time before this. They were the first grandparents of this whole family of people. God promised Abraham a huge family, and he kept his promise.

3The LORD will comfort Zion, his city. He will care about all her broken, empty places. He will make her dry land like Eden, the LORD's own garden. People there will be glad. They will sing thank-you songs.

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

NoteZion is another name for the city of Jerusalem. Eden was the very first garden, full of trees and good food. God says the empty land will be lovely like that again.

18There was no reason left to hope. Abraham hoped and trusted anyway. So he became the father of many nations. God had told him, "That is how many children you will have."

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

NoteGod took Abraham outside one night. He showed him the stars and said, "Your family will be like that."

19His trust did not get weak. He did not think about his body being too old to have a baby. He was about a hundred years old. He did not think about his wife Sarah being too old for a baby either.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:

NoteSarah was Abraham's wife. They had waited many years and had no children. Both of them were very old by then.

20He did not doubt God's promise. Instead his trust grew strong, and he gave honor to God.

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21He was completely sure of one thing. God was able to do what he had promised.

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22That is why God counted Abraham as right with him.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

6God's promise did not fail. Not everyone born into Israel's family really belongs to Israel.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

NoteIsrael was a man's name first. God gave that name to Jacob. Jacob's family grew into a whole nation called Israel.

7Being part of Abraham's family does not make them all his true children. God said, "Your family line will be counted through Isaac."

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

NoteAbraham was the very first father of this family. Isaac was his son. God promised that the family would be counted through Isaac.

8So being born into the family is not what makes someone God's child. God's children are the ones born because God promised them.

That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

9Here is the promise God made: "At the right time I will come back. Sarah will have a son."

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

NoteSarah was Abraham's wife. She was very old and had no children. God promised her a baby anyway.

11Sarah trusted God too. She was much too old to have a baby. But God gave her the strength, and her son was born. She believed God would keep his promise.

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

NoteSarah was Abraham's wife. She was very old and had never had a baby. Their son was named Isaac.

12So one very old man, who seemed as good as dead, got a huge family. They grew to be as many as the stars in the sky. They were like the sand on the beach, too many to count.

Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

1Wives, in the same way, follow your own husband's lead. Some husbands do not believe God's message. They can be won over without any words. They will be won by watching how their wives live.

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

NoteThe King James word "conversation" here does not mean talking. It means the whole way a person lives. "Be in subjection" meant following the husband's lead at home. "The word" means God's message about Jesus.

2They will see that you live a pure and good life. They will see that you live with deep respect.

While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

NoteThe King James word "fear" here does not mean being scared. It means deep respect and wonder toward God.

3Your beauty should not come from the outside. It is not braided hair, or gold jewelry, or fine clothes.

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

NoteRich women then wove gold and jewels into their braided hair. It took hours to do. It showed everyone how much money they had.

4Let your beauty come from inside your heart. A gentle, quiet spirit never fades away. God says that kind of beauty is worth a lot.

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

NoteThe King James calls this "the hidden man of the heart." That means the real you on the inside, where nobody can see.

5Long ago, good women who put their hope in God made themselves beautiful this way. They followed their own husbands' lead.

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

Note"The holy women" means women in the old Bible stories. They loved God and belonged to him.

6Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord, which means master. You are her daughters if you do right and do not give in to fear.

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

NoteAbraham and Sarah lived a very long time ago. Their story is in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Calling a husband "lord" was a polite way to speak back then.