⁴⁴“ ‘As for^s your^t slave and your^u slave woman who are^v yours,^w from the nations that are all around you,^x from them you^y may buy a slave or^z a slave woman. ⁴⁵And you^a may buy also from the children^b 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. ⁴⁶And you^d may pass them on as an inheritance to your^e sons^f after you^g to take possession of as property for all time^h—youⁱ may let them work. But^j as for your^k countrymen,^l the Israelites,^m youⁿ shall not rule with ruthlessness over one another.^o

Read in Logos

Footnotes

sOr “And”
tSingular
uSingular
vOr “may be” (permission; cf. NASU, ESV, NRSV) or “can be” (ability)
wSingular
xPlural
yPlural
zOr “and”
aPlural throughout this verse
bOr “sons”
cOr “and”
dPlural
ePlural
fOr “children”
gPlural
hLiterally “to eternity” or “forever” or “for a long duration”
iPlural
jOr “And”
kPlural
lOr “brothers”
mLiterally “sons/children of Israel”
nSingular
oLiterally “a man over his brother”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“ ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 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. 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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Your male and female slaves are to be from the nations around you; you may purchase male and female slaves. You may also purchase them from the aliens residing with you, or from their families living among you—those born in your land. These may become your property. You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But concerning your brothers, the Israelites, you must not rule over one another harshly.

NLTNew Living Translation

“However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you. You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way.

KJV 1900King James Version

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

Public Domain