Leviticus 25:24–52

²⁴Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption^d of the land.

²⁵“ ‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative^e is to come and redeem^f what they have sold. ²⁶If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper^g and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, ²⁷they are to determine the value for the years^h 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.^{i 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^j in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.^k

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. ³⁰If 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. ³¹But 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,^l which they possess. ³³So 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. ³⁴But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.^m

³⁵“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poorⁿ and are unable to support themselves among you, help them^o as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. ³⁶Do not take interest^p or any profit from them, but fear your God,^q so that they may continue to live among you. ³⁷You must not lend them money at interest^r or sell them food at a profit. ³⁸I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan^s and to be your God.^t

³⁹“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.^{u 40}They are to be treated as hired workers^v or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property^w of their ancestors.^{x 42}Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,^y they must not be sold as slaves. ⁴³Do not rule over them ruthlessly,^z but fear your God.^a

⁴⁴“ ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. ⁴⁵You 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. ⁴⁶You 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^b to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, ⁴⁸they retain the right of redemption^c after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives^d may redeem them: ⁴⁹An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,^e they may redeem themselves. ⁵⁰They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.^f The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker^g for that number of years. ⁵¹If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. ⁵²If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.^h