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Leviticus 25:35-55
English Standard Version

Kindness for Poor Brothers

35 “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, (A)you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. 36 (B)Take no interest from him or profit, but (C)fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. 37 (D)You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38 (E)I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

39 (F)“If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 (G)Then he shall go out from you, (H)he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return (I)to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are (J)my servants,[a] whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. 43 (K)You shall not rule over him (L)ruthlessly but (M)shall fear your God. 44 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. 45 (N)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. 46 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 (O)you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.

Redeeming a Poor Man

47 “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and (P)your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, 48 then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle or his cousin may (Q)redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he (R)grows rich he may redeem himself. 50 He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be (S)rated as the time of a hired worker. 51 If there are still many years left, he shall pay proportionately for his redemption some of his sale price. 52 If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption in proportion to his years of service. 53 He shall treat him as a worker hired year by year. (T)He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. 54 And if he is not redeemed by these means, then (U)he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. 55 For it is (V)to me that the people of Israel are servants.[b] They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 25:42 Hebrew slaves
  2. Leviticus 25:55 Or slaves
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Leviticus 25:35-55
Lexham English Bible

35 “‘And if your[a] countryman[b] becomes poor and if he becomes dependent on you,[c] then[d] you shall support him like an alien and like a temporary resident, and he shall live with you. 36 You[e] must not take interest or[f] usury from him, but[g] you shall revere your God, and your countryman[h] shall live with you. 37 You[i] must not give your money to him with interest or[j] give your food for[k] profit. 38 I am Yahweh your[l] God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you[m] the land of Canaan, to be as God for you.

39 “‘And if your[n] countryman[o] who is with you becomes poor, and he is sold to you, you shall not treat him as a slave.[p] 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 ancestors[q] 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.[r] 43 You[s] shall not rule over him with ruthlessness, but[t] you shall revere your God.

44 “‘As for[u] your[v] slave and your[w] slave woman who are[x] yours,[y] from the nations that are all around you,[z] from them you[aa] may buy a slave or[ab] a slave woman. 45 And you[ac] may buy also from the children[ad] 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,[ae] they may be as property for you. 46 And you[af] may pass them on as an inheritance to your[ag] sons[ah] after you[ai] to take possession of as property for all time[aj]—you[ak] may let them work. But[al] as for your[am] countrymen,[an] the Israelites,[ao] you[ap] shall not rule with ruthlessness over one another.[aq]

47 “‘And if the alien or[ar] the temporary resident who are with you[as] prosper,[at] but[au] your countryman[av] 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[aw] his close relatives[ax] from his clan may redeem him; or if he prospers,[ay] he may redeem himself. 50 And he shall calculate with his buyer from the year of his selling himself[az] until the Jubilee; and the value of his selling shall be according to the number of years—it shall be with him like[ba] a hired worker’s days. 51 If there are still many years, in keeping with them[bb] he shall restore his redemption in proportion to his purchase price.[bc] 52 And if there are a few years left until the Year of Jubilee, then[bd] he shall calculate for himself; he shall restore his redemption according to the number of his years.[be] 53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired worker;[bf] he shall not rule over him with ruthlessness in your[bg] sight.[bh] 54 And if he is not redeemed by[bi] any of these ways,[bj] then[bk] he and his sons with him shall go out in the Year of Jubilee. 55 Indeed,[bl] the Israelites[bm] are servants for me; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your[bn] God.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 25:35 Singular throughout this verse
  2. Leviticus 25:35 Or “brother”
  3. Leviticus 25:35 Literally “and his hand is shaky with you”
  4. Leviticus 25:35 Or “and”
  5. Leviticus 25:36 Singular throughout this verse
  6. Leviticus 25:36 Or “and”
  7. Leviticus 25:36 Or “and”
  8. Leviticus 25:36 Or “brother”
  9. Leviticus 25:37 Singular throughout this verse
  10. Leviticus 25:37 Or “and”
  11. Leviticus 25:37 Or “in” or “with”
  12. Leviticus 25:38 Plural throughout this verse
  13. Leviticus 25:38 Literally “to you”
  14. Leviticus 25:39 Singular throughout this verse
  15. Leviticus 25:39 Or “brother”
  16. Leviticus 25:39 Literally “you shall not let him work the work of a slave” or “you shall not enslave him the work of a slave”
  17. Leviticus 25:41 Or “fathers”
  18. Leviticus 25:42 Literally “a selling of a slave”
  19. Leviticus 25:43 Singular throughout this verse
  20. Leviticus 25:43 Or “and”
  21. Leviticus 25:44 Or “And”
  22. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  23. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  24. Leviticus 25:44 Or “may be” (permission; cf. NASU, ESV, NRSV) or “can be” (ability)
  25. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  26. Leviticus 25:44 Plural
  27. Leviticus 25:44 Plural
  28. Leviticus 25:44 Or “and”
  29. Leviticus 25:45 Plural throughout this verse
  30. Leviticus 25:45 Or “sons”
  31. Leviticus 25:45 Or “and”
  32. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  33. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  34. Leviticus 25:46 Or “children”
  35. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  36. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “to eternity” or “forever” or “for a long duration”
  37. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  38. Leviticus 25:46 Or “And”
  39. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  40. Leviticus 25:46 Or “brothers”
  41. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  42. Leviticus 25:46 Singular
  43. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “a man over his brother”
  44. Leviticus 25:47 Or “and”
  45. Leviticus 25:47 Singular throughout this verse
  46. Leviticus 25:47 Literally “the hand produces”
  47. Leviticus 25:47 Or “and”
  48. Leviticus 25:47 Or “brother”
  49. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “from”
  50. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “the direct relative of his flesh”
  51. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “his hand produces”
  52. Leviticus 25:50 Literally “his being sold for him”
  53. Leviticus 25:50 Or “as”
  54. Leviticus 25:51 Literally “to the mouth of them”
  55. Leviticus 25:51 Literally “from the price of his acquisition”
  56. Leviticus 25:52 Or “and”
  57. Leviticus 25:52 Literally “according to the mouth of his years”
  58. Leviticus 25:53 Literally “as a hired worker of a year in a year”
  59. Leviticus 25:53 Singular
  60. Leviticus 25:53 Literally “to your eyes” or “for your eyes”
  61. Leviticus 25:54 Or “in”
  62. Leviticus 25:54 Bracketed words provided from the sense of the context
  63. Leviticus 25:54 Or “and”
  64. Leviticus 25:55 Emphatic use of כִּי, since there is no indication of direct causation to only what precedes in vv. 47–54; or “Because”
  65. Leviticus 25:55 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  66. Leviticus 25:55 Plural
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Leviticus 25:35-55
New International Version - UK

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

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

44 ‘“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 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. 46 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.

47 ‘“If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: 49 an uncle or a cousin or any blood-relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves. 50 They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly. 53 They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.

54 ‘“Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

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