25 (A)‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if (B)his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. 26 Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, 27 then (C)let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession. 28 But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; (D)and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.

29 ‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it. 30 But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. 31 However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee. 32 Nevertheless (E)the cities of the Levites, and the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. 33 And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34 But (F)the field of the common-land of their cities may not be (G)sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

Lending to the Poor

35 ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and [a]falls into poverty among you, then you shall (H)help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 36 (I)Take no usury or interest from him; but (J)fear your God, that your brother may live with you. 37 You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. 38 (K)I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

The Law Concerning Slavery

39 ‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. 40 As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 And then he shall depart from you—he and his children (L)with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are (M)My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. 43 (N)You shall not rule over him (O)with [b]rigor, but you (P)shall fear your God. 44 And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. 45 Moreover you may buy (Q)the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property. 46 And (R)you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.

47 ‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself. 50 Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be (S)according to the time of a hired servant for him. 51 If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought. 52 And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption. 53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight. 54 And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee—he and his children with him. 55 For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 25:35 Lit. his hand fails
  2. Leviticus 25:43 severity

25 “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative(A) is to come and redeem(B) what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper(C) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years(D) since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.(E) 28 But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned(F) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.(G)

29 “‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. 30 If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. 31 But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.

32 “‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns,(H) which they possess. 33 So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. 34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.(I)

35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor(J) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them(K) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest(L) or any profit from them, but fear your God,(M) so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest(N) or sell them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan(O) and to be your God.(P)

39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.(Q) 40 They are to be treated as hired workers(R) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property(S) of their ancestors.(T) 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,(U) they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly,(V) but fear your God.(W)

44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

47 “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves(X) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption(Y) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives(Z) may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,(AA) they may redeem themselves. 50 They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.(AB) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker(AC) for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.(AD) 53 They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.(AE)

54 “‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.(AF) I am the Lord your God.(AG)

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