Leviticus 25:1–12

The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. He said, 2“Speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘You will enter the land I am going to give you. When you do, you must honor me every seventh year by not farming the land that year.

3“ ‘For six years plant your fields. Trim the branches in your vineyards and gather your crops.

4“ ‘But the seventh year must be a sabbath for the land. The land must rest during it. It is a sabbath year in my honor. Do not plant your fields. Do not trim the branches in your vineyards. 5Do not gather what grows without being planted. And do not gather the grapes from the vines you have not taken care of. The land must have a year of rest.

6“ ‘Anything the land produces during the sabbath year will be food for you. It will be for you and your male and female servants. Your hired workers will eat it. So will people who live with you for a while. 7And so will your livestock and the wild animals that are in your land. Anything the land produces can be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee

8“ ‘Count off seven sabbaths of years. Count off seven times seven years. The seven sabbaths of years add up to a total of 49 years. 9The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when sin is paid for. On that day blow the trumpet all through your land.

10“ ‘Set the 50th year apart. Announce freedom all over the land to everyone who lives there. The 50th year will be a Year of Jubilee for you. Each of you must return to your own family property. And each of you must return to your own tribe.

11“ ‘The 50th year will be a Year of Jubilee for you. Do not plant anything. Do not gather what grows without being planted. And do not gather the grapes from the vines you have not taken care of. 12It is a Year of Jubilee. It will be holy for you. Eat only what the fields produce.