Leviticus 25:39–55

39 “ ‘And if yourl countrymanm who is with you becomes poor, and he is sold to you, ⌊you shall not treat him as a slave⌋.n 40 He shall be with you like a hired worker, like a temporary resident; he shall work with you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 And he and his sons with him shall go out from you, and he shall return to his clan, and to the property of his ancestorso he shall return. 42 Because they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they shall not be sold ⌊as a slave⌋.p 43 Youq shall not rule over him with ruthlessness, butr you shall revere your God.

44 “ ‘As fors yourt slave and youru slave woman who arev yours,w from the nations that are all around you,x from them youy may buy a slave orz a slave woman. 45 And youa may buy also from the childrenb of the temporary residents who are dwelling with you as aliens and from their clan who are with you, who have children in your land; indeed,c they may be as property for you. 46 And youd may pass them on as an inheritance to youre sonsf after youg to take possession of as property ⌊for all time⌋h—youi may let them work. Butj as for yourk countrymen,l the ⌊Israelites⌋,m youn shall not rule with ruthlessness over ⌊one another⌋.o

47 “ ‘And if the alien orp the temporary resident who are with youq ⌊prosper⌋,r buts your countrymant who is with him becomes poor and he is sold to an alien, a temporary resident who is with you, or to a descendant of an alien’s clan, 48 after he is sold redemption shall be for him; one of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or ⌊one of⌋u ⌊his close relatives⌋v from his clan may redeem him; or if ⌊he prospers⌋,w he may redeem himself. 50 And he shall calculate with his buyer from the year of ⌊his selling himself⌋x until the Jubilee; and the value of his selling shall be according to the number of years—it shall be with him likey a hired worker’s days. 51 If there are still many years, ⌊in keeping with them⌋z he shall restore his redemption ⌊in proportion to his purchase price⌋.a 52 And if there are a few years left until the Year of Jubilee, thenb he shall calculate for himself; he shall restore his redemption ⌊according to the number of his years⌋.c 53 He shall be with him ⌊as a yearly hired worker⌋;d he shall not rule over him with ruthlessness ⌊in youre sight⌋.f 54 And if he is not redeemed byg any of these ways,h theni he and his sons with him shall go out in the Year of Jubilee. 55 Indeed,j the ⌊Israelites⌋k are servants for me; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh yourl God.’ ”

l	Singular throughout this verse
m	Or “brother”
n	Literally “you shall not let him work the work of a slave” or “you shall not enslave him the work of a slave”
o	Or “fathers”
p	Literally “a selling of a slave”
q	Singular throughout this verse
r	Or “and”
s	Or “And”
t	Singular
u	Singular
v	Or “may be” (permission; cf. NASU, ESV, NRSV) or “can be” (ability)
w	Singular
x	Plural
y	Plural
z	Or “and”
a	Plural throughout this verse
b	Or “sons”
c	Or “and”
d	Plural
e	Plural
f	Or “children”
g	Plural
h	Literally “to eternity” or “forever” or “for a long duration”
i	Plural
j	Or “And”
k	Plural
l	Or “brothers”
m	Literally “sons/children of Israel”
n	Singular
o	Literally “a man over his brother”
p	Or “and”
q	Singular throughout this verse
r	Literally “the hand produces”
s	Or “and”
t	Or “brother”
u	Literally “from”
v	Literally “the direct relative of his flesh”
w	Literally “his hand produces”
x	Literally “his being sold for him”
y	Or “as”
z	Literally “to the mouth of them”
a	Literally “from the price of his acquisition”
b	Or “and”
c	Literally “according to the mouth of his years”
d	Literally “as a hired worker of a year in a year”
e	Singular
f	Literally “to your eyes” or “for your eyes”
g	Or “in”
h	Bracketed words provided from the sense of the context
i	Or “and”
j	Emphatic use of כִּי, since there is no indication of direct causation to only what precedes in vv. 47–54; or “Because”
k	Literally “sons/children of Israel”
l	Plural