Silver Before Witnesses

10Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city, saying,

11No, my lord, listen to me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.

12Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.

13And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If only you would hear me: I give the silver for the field; take it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”

14And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.

16So Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had spoken in the hearing of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.