Redeeming a Poor Man

47 “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and (A)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 (B)redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he (C)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 (D)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. (E)He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. 54 And if he is not redeemed by these means, then (F)he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. 55 For it is (G)to me that the people of Israel are servants.[a] 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 25:55 Or slaves

47 “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves(A) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption(B) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives(C) may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,(D) 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.(E) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker(F) 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.(G) 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.(H)

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) I am the Lord your God.(J)

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