Redeeming what is the Lord’s

27 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value, set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels[a] of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel;[b] for a female, set her value at thirty shekels;[c] for a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels[d] and of a female at ten shekels[e]; for a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels[f] of silver and that of a female at three shekels[g] of silver; for a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels[h] and of a female at ten shekels. If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest, who will set the value according to what the one making the vow can afford.

‘“If what they vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, such an animal given to the Lord becomes holy. 10 They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. 11 If what they vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal – one that is not acceptable as an offering to the Lord – the animal must be presented to the priest, 12 who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be. 13 If the owner wishes to redeem the animal, a fifth must be added to its value.

14 ‘“If anyone dedicates their house as something holy to the Lord, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain. 15 If the one who dedicates their house wishes to redeem it, they must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become theirs.

16 ‘“If anyone dedicates to the Lord part of their family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it – fifty shekels of silver to a homer[i] of barley seed. 17 If they dedicate a field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. 18 But if they dedicate a field after the Jubilee, the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. 19 If the one who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, they must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become theirs. 20 If, however, they do not redeem the field, or if they have sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. 21 When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the Lord; it will become priestly property.

22 ‘“If anyone dedicates to the Lord a field they have bought, which is not part of their family land, 23 the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the owner must pay its value on that day as something holy to the Lord. 24 In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom it was bought, the one whose land it was. 25 Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.

26 ‘“No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord; whether an ox[j] or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. 27 If it is one of the unclean animals, it may be bought back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If it is not redeemed, it is to be sold at its set value.

28 ‘“But nothing that a person owns and devotes[k] to the Lord – whether a human being or an animal or family land – may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord.

29 ‘“No one devoted to destruction[l] may be ransomed; they are to be put to death.

30 ‘“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 31 Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock – every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod – will be holy to the Lord. 33 No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.”’

34 These are the commands the Lord gave Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 27:3 That is, about 575 grams; also in verse 16
  2. Leviticus 27:3 That is, about 12 grams; also in verse 25
  3. Leviticus 27:4 That is, about 345 grams
  4. Leviticus 27:5 That is, about 230 grams
  5. Leviticus 27:5 That is, about 115 grams; also in verse 7
  6. Leviticus 27:6 That is, about 58 grams
  7. Leviticus 27:6 That is, about 35 grams
  8. Leviticus 27:7 That is, about 175 grams
  9. Leviticus 27:16 That is, probably about 135 kilograms
  10. Leviticus 27:26 The Hebrew word can include both male and female.
  11. Leviticus 27:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord.
  12. Leviticus 27:29 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

Rules concerning Assessments

27 Again, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(A)When someone makes an explicit vow, he shall be valued according to your assessment of persons belonging to the Lord. If your assessment is of a male from twenty years even to sixty years old, then your assessment shall be fifty shekels of silver, by (B)the shekel of the sanctuary. Or if [a]the person is a female, then your assessment shall be thirty shekels. And if the person is from five years even to twenty years old, then your assessment for a male shall be twenty shekels, and for a female, ten shekels. But if the person is from a month even up to five years old, then your assessment shall be (C)five shekels of silver for a male, and for a female your assessment shall be three shekels of silver. If the person is from sixty years old and upward, if a male, then your assessment shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female, ten shekels. But if he is poorer than your assessment, then he shall be presented before the priest, and the priest shall assess him; (D)according to [b]the means of the one who vowed, the priest shall assess him.

‘Now if it is an animal of the kind that [c]one can present as an offering to the Lord, any such animal that one gives to the Lord shall be holy. 10 (E)He shall not replace it nor exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; yet if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. 11 If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which [d]one does not present as an offering to the Lord, then he shall place the animal before the priest. 12 And the priest shall assess it [e]as either good or bad; as you, the priest, assess it, so shall it be. 13 But if he should ever want to redeem it, then he shall add a fifth of it to your assessment.

14 ‘Now if someone consecrates his house as holy to the Lord, then the priest shall assess it [f]as either good or bad; as the priest assesses it, so shall it stand. 15 Yet if the one who consecrates it should want to redeem his house, then he shall add a fifth of your assessment price to it, so that it may be his.

16 ‘Again, if someone consecrates to the Lord part of the field of his own property, then your assessment shall be [g]proportionate to the seed needed for it: a [h]homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your assessment it shall stand. 18 If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for [i]him [j]proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your assessment. 19 If the one who consecrates it should ever want to redeem the field, then he shall add a fifth of your assessment price to it, so that it may belong to him. 20 Yet if he does not redeem the field, [k]but has sold the field to another person, it may no longer be redeemed; 21 and when it [l]reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the Lord, like a field banned from secular use; (F)it shall be for the priest as his property. 22 Or if he consecrates to the Lord a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property, 23 then the priest shall calculate for [m]him the amount of your assessment up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your assessment as holy to the Lord. 24 In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 Every assessment of yours, moreover, shall be by (G)the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.

26 (H)However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no one may consecrate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lords. 27 But if it is among the unclean animals, then he shall [n]redeem it according to your assessment and add to it a fifth of it; and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your assessment.

28 ‘Nevertheless, (I)[o]anything which someone sets apart to the Lord for [p]destruction out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the field of his own property, shall not be sold nor redeemed. Anything set apart for destruction is most holy to the Lord. 29 No [q]one who may have been [r]set apart among mankind shall be ransomed; he must be put to death.

30 ‘Now (J)all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lords; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If, therefore, someone should ever want to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it a fifth of it. 32 For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever (K)passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. 33 (L)He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; yet if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”

34 (M)These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 27:4 Lit she
  2. Leviticus 27:8 Lit what the hand reaches
  3. Leviticus 27:9 Lit they
  4. Leviticus 27:11 Lit they
  5. Leviticus 27:12 Lit between
  6. Leviticus 27:14 Lit between good
  7. Leviticus 27:16 Lit according to its seed
  8. Leviticus 27:16 About 7.7 cubic feet or 0.22 cubic meters
  9. Leviticus 27:18 Or it
  10. Leviticus 27:18 Lit according to the years
  11. Leviticus 27:20 Or if he
  12. Leviticus 27:21 Lit goes out
  13. Leviticus 27:23 Or it
  14. Leviticus 27:27 Or ransom
  15. Leviticus 27:28 Lit anything banned
  16. Leviticus 27:28 I.e., as an offering
  17. Leviticus 27:29 Lit one devoted; or banned
  18. Leviticus 27:29 Lit put under the ban

Promises Are Important

27 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: ‘If someone makes a special promise to give a person as a servant to the Lord by paying a price that is the same value as that person, the price for a man twenty to sixty years old is about one and one-fourth pounds of silver. (You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place.) The price for a woman twenty to sixty years old is about twelve ounces of silver. The price for a man five to twenty years old is about eight ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver. The price for a baby boy one month to five years old is about two ounces of silver; for a baby girl the price is about one and one-half ounces of silver. The price for a man sixty years old or older is about six ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.

“‘If anyone is too poor to pay the price, bring him to the priest, and the priest will set the price. The priest will decide how much money the person making the vow can afford to pay.

Gifts to the Lord

“‘Some animals may be used as sacrifices to the Lord. If someone promises to bring one of these to the Lord, it will become holy. 10 That person must not try to put another animal in its place or exchange it, a good animal for a bad one, or a bad animal for a good one. If this happens, both animals will become holy.

11 “‘Unclean animals cannot be offered as sacrifices to the Lord, and if someone brings one of them to the Lord, that animal must be brought to the priest. 12 The priest will decide a price for the animal, according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the animal. 13 If the person wants to buy back the animal, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price.

Value of a House

14 “‘If a person gives a house as holy to the Lord, the priest must decide its value, according to whether the house is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the house. 15 But if the person who gives the house wants to buy it back, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price. Then the house will belong to that person again.

Value of Land

16 “‘If a person gives some family property to the Lord, the value of the fields will depend on how much seed is needed to plant them. It will cost about one and one-fourth pounds of silver for each six bushels of barley seed needed. 17 If the person gives a field at the year of Jubilee, its value will stay at what the priest has decided. 18 But if the person gives the field after the Jubilee, the priest must decide the exact price by counting the number of years to the next year of Jubilee. Then he will subtract that number from its value. 19 If the person who gave the field wants to buy it back, one-fifth must be added to that price, and the field will belong to the first owner again.

20 “‘If the person does not buy back the field, or if it is sold to someone else, the first person cannot ever buy it back. 21 When the land is released at the year of Jubilee, it will become holy to the Lord, like land specially given to him. It will become the property of the priests.

22 “‘If someone gives to the Lord a field he has bought, which is not a part of his family land, 23 the priest must count the years to the next Jubilee. He must decide the price for the land, and the price must be paid on that day. Then that land will be holy to the Lord. 24 At the year of Jubilee, the land will go back to its first owner, to the family who sold the land.

25 “‘You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place in paying these prices; it weighs two-fifths of an ounce.

Value of Animals

26 “‘If an animal is the first one born to its parent, it already belongs to the Lord, so people may not give it again. If it is a cow or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. 27 If the animal is unclean, the person must buy it back for the price set by the priest, and the person must add one-fifth to that price. If it is not bought back, the priest must sell it for the price he had decided.

28 “‘There is a special kind of gift that people set apart to give to the Lord; it may be a person, animal, or field from the family property. That gift cannot be bought back or sold. Every special kind of gift is most holy to the Lord.

29 “‘If anyone is given for the purpose of being destroyed, he cannot be bought back; he must be put to death.

30 “‘One-tenth of all crops belongs to the Lord, including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That one-tenth is holy to the Lord. 31 If a person wants to get back that tenth, one-fifth must be added to its price.

32 “‘The priest will take every tenth animal from a person’s herd or flock, and it will be holy to the Lord. 33 The owner should not pick out the good animals from the bad or exchange one animal for another. If that happens, both animals will become holy; they cannot be bought back.’”

34 These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses at Mount Sinai for the people of Israel.

Keep Your Promises to the Lord

27 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Suppose someone makes a special promise to set a person apart to serve the Lord. Here is how much it will cost to set that person free from the promise to serve. The cost for a male between the ages of twenty and sixty is 20 ounces of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The cost for a female of the same age is 12 ounces of silver. The cost for a male between the ages of five and twenty is 8 ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is 4 ounces of silver. The cost for a male between the ages of one month and five years is 2 ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is 1 ounce of silver. The cost for a male who is sixty years old or more is 6 ounces of silver. The cost for a female of the same age is 4 ounces of silver. But suppose the one who makes the special promise is too poor to pay the required amount. Then they must bring to the priest the person who will be set free. The priest will decide the right value for that person. It will be based on how much the one who makes the promise can afford.

“ ‘Suppose what they promised is an animal that the Lord will accept as an offering. Then the animal given to the Lord becomes holy. 10 The one who makes the promise must not trade it. They must not trade a good animal for a bad one. And they must not trade a bad animal for a good one. Suppose they choose one animal instead of another. Then both animals become holy. 11 Suppose the animal they promised is not “clean.” Suppose the Lord will not accept it as an offering. Then the animal must be brought to the priest. 12 He will decide whether it is good or bad. Its value will be what he decides it will be. 13 Suppose the owner wants to buy the animal back. Then a fifth must be added to its cost.

14 “ ‘Suppose someone sets apart their house as something holy to the Lord. Then the priest will decide whether it is good or bad. Its value will remain what he decides it will be. 15 Suppose the person sets apart their house. And suppose later they want to buy it back. Then they must add a fifth to its value. The house will belong to them again.

16 “ ‘Suppose someone sets apart a piece of their family’s land to the Lord. Then here is how its value must be decided. It must be based on the number of seeds that are required to grow a full crop on it. That value will be 20 ounces of silver for every 300 pounds of barley seeds. 17 Suppose they set apart their field during the Year of Jubilee. Then the value that has been decided will not be changed. 18 But suppose they set apart their field after the Year of Jubilee. Then here is how the priest will decide its value. It will be based on the number of years that are left until the next Year of Jubilee. The value decided will be reduced. 19 Suppose the one who set apart their field wants to buy it back. Then they must add a fifth to its value. The field will belong to them again. 20 But suppose they do not buy back the field. Instead, suppose they sell it to someone else. Then they can never buy it back. 21 When the field is set free in the Year of Jubilee, it will become holy. It will be like a field set apart to the Lord. It will become the property of the priests.

22 “ ‘Suppose someone sets apart to the Lord a field they have bought. And suppose it is not part of their family’s land. 23 Then here is how the priest will decide its value. It will be based on the number of years that are left until the Year of Jubilee. The owner must pay that value on the day it is decided. The money is holy. It is set apart for the Lord. 24 In the Year of Jubilee the field will go back to the person it was bought from. That person is the one who had owned the land before. 25 Every amount of money must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights used in the sacred tent.

26 “ ‘But no one can set apart the first male animal born to its mother. That animal already belongs to the Lord. It does not matter whether it is an ox or a sheep. It belongs to the Lord. 27 Suppose it is an “unclean” animal. Then the owner may buy it back at the value that has been decided. And they must add a fifth to its value. But suppose it is not bought back. Then it must be sold at the value that has been decided.

28 “ ‘But nothing a person owns and sets apart to the Lord can be sold or bought back. It does not matter whether it is a human being or an animal or a family’s land. Everything set apart to the Lord is very holy to him.

29 “ ‘No one set apart in a special way to be destroyed can be bought back. They must be put to death.

30 “ ‘A tenth of everything the land produces belongs to the Lord. That includes grain from the soil and fruit from the trees. It is holy. It is set apart for him. 31 Suppose someone wants to buy back some of their tenth. Then they must add a fifth of the cost to it. 32 Every tenth part of herds and flocks will be holy. They will be set apart for the Lord. That includes every tenth animal that its shepherd marks with his wooden staff. 33 No one may pick out the good animals from the bad. They must not choose one animal instead of another. But if anyone does, both animals become holy. They can’t be bought back.’ ”

34 The Lord gave Moses all these commands on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

27 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: ‘When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation.

And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

And if it be a female, then thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.

And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old then thy valuation shall be for the male twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels.

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy valuation shall be for the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver.

And if it be from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, then thy valuation shall be fifteen shekels and for the female ten shekels.

But if he be poorer than thy valuation, then he shall present himself before the priest and the priest shall value him; according to his ability who vowed shall the priest value him.

“‘And if it be a beast whereof men bring an offering unto the Lord, all that any man giveth of such unto the Lord shall be holy.

10 He shall not alter it nor change it, a good for a bad or a bad for a good; and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.

11 And if it be any unclean beast, which they do not offer as a sacrifice unto the Lord, then he shall present the beast before the priest.

12 And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as thou, who art the priest, valuest it, so shall it be.

13 But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy valuation.

14 “‘And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the Lord, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest shall evaluate it, so shall it stand.

15 And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add a fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be his.

16 “‘And if a man shall sanctify unto the Lord some part of a field of his possession, then thy valuation shall be according to the seed thereof: a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.

17 If he sanctify his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to thy valuation it shall stand.

18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the Year of the Jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy valuation.

19 And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.

20 And if he will not redeem the field or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.

21 But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the Lord, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest’s.

22 And if a man sanctify unto the Lord a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession,

23 then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy valuation, even unto the Year of the Jubilee; and he shall give thy valuation on that day as a holy thing unto the Lord.

24 In the Year of the Jubilee the field shall return unto him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.

25 And all thy valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.

26 “‘Only the firstborn of the beasts, which should be the Lord’S firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox or sheep, it is the Lord’S.

27 And if it is of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thy valuation and shall add a fifth part of it thereto; or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy valuation.

28 “‘Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.

29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.

30 “‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’S; it is holy unto the Lord.

31 And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes, he shall add thereto a fifth part thereof.

32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, a tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.

33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.’”

34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.