The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,^{(A) 2} “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. ³ For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.^{(B) 4} But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest,^(C) a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.^{(D) 5} Do not reap what grows of itself^(E) or harvest the grapes^(F) of your untended vines.^(G) The land is to have a year of rest. ⁶ Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year^(H) will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, ⁷ as well as for your livestock and the wild animals^(I) in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

¹⁰ Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts,^(A) during the Festival of Tabernacles,^{(B) 11} when all Israel comes to appear^(C) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,^(D) you shall read this law^(E) before them in their hearing. ¹² Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn^(F) to fear^(G) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. ¹³ Their children,^(H) who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”