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The Sabbath Year

25 Then[a] Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai,[b] saying, “Speak to the Israelites,[c] and say to them, ‘When you[d] come into the land that I am about to give to you,[e] then[f] the land shall observe a Sabbath for Yahweh. Six years you[g] shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and you shall gather its yield. But[h] in the seventh year it shall be a Sabbath of complete rest[i] for the land—a Sabbath for Yahweh; you[j] must not sow your field, and you must not prune your vineyard. You[k] must not reap your harvest’s aftergrowth, and you must not harvest the grapes of your unpruned vines—it shall be a year of complete rest[l] for the land. And a Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you:[m] for you[n] and for your slave and for your slave woman and for your hired worker and for your temporary residents[o] who are dwelling as aliens with you; and all its yield shall be for your[p] domestic animal and for the wild animal, which are in your land to eat.

The Year of Jubilee

“‘And you[q] shall count for yourself seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years, and they shall be for you time periods of[r] years: forty-nine[s] years. And you[t] shall cause a loud horn blast[u] to be heard on the seventh month on the tenth of the month; on the Day of Atonement you[v] shall cause a ram’s horn to be heard in all your[w] land. 10 And you[x] shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and you shall proclaim a release in the land for all its inhabitants. It is a Jubilee; it shall be for you, and you shall return. You must return—everyone to his property and everyone to his clan.[y] 11 You[z] shall have the fiftieth year as a Jubilee;[aa] you must not reap its aftergrowth, and you must not harvest its unpruned vines. 12 Because it is a Jubilee, it shall be holy to you. You must eat its[ab] produce from the field.

13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee each of you[ac] shall return[ad] to his property. 14 And when you[ae] sell something to your[af] fellow citizen or you buy from your[ag] neighbor’s hand, you[ah] must not oppress one another.[ai] 15 You[aj] must buy from your fellow citizen according to the number of years after the Jubilee; he must sell to you according to the number of years of yield. 16 You[ak] must increase its price according to a greater number of years,[al] but[am] you must decrease its price according to a lesser number of years,[an] because he is selling its yields to you. 17 And you[ao] must not oppress one another,[ap] but[aq] you[ar] shall revere your God, because I am Yahweh, your[as] God.

18 “‘And you[at] shall do my statutes, and you must keep my regulations, and you shall do them, so that[au] you shall live securely[av] on the land. 19 And the land shall give its fruit, and you[aw] shall eat your fill,[ax] and you shall live securely[ay] on it. 20 And if you[az] should say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, if[ba] we do not sow and we do not gather its yield?” 21 then[bb] I will command my blessing for you[bc] in the sixth year, so that[bd] it will make[be] the yield for three years. 22 And you[bf] will sow in the eighth year, and you shall eat from the old yield;[bg] until the ninth year, until the coming of its yield, you shall eat the old yield.

23 “‘But[bh] the land must not be sold in[bi] perpetuity, because the land is mine, because you[bj] are aliens and temporary residents with me. 24 And in all your[bk] property’s land you[bl] must provide redemption for the land.

25 “‘When your[bm] brother becomes poor and he sells part of his property, then[bn] his nearest redeemer[bo] shall come, and he shall redeem the thing sold by his brother. 26 But[bp] if[bq] a man does not have[br] a redeemer, then[bs] he prospers[bt] and he finds enough for his redemption, 27 then[bu] he shall calculate the years of its selling, and he shall refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and he shall return to his property. 28 But[bv] if his hand does not find enough to refund to him, then[bw] what he has sold[bx] shall be in the buyer’s hand until the Year of Jubilee; and it shall go out of the buyer’s hand[by] in the Jubilee, and he shall return to his property.

29 “‘And if a man sells a residential house in a walled city,[bz] then[ca] it shall be his redemption until completing a year after his selling;[cb] its redemption shall last[cc] a year.[cd] 30 But[ce] if it is not redeemed before a full year has passed,[cf] then[cg] the house that is in the walled city[ch] shall belong to the buyer in[ci] perpetuity throughout his generations; it shall not go out of the buyer’s hand[cj] in the Jubilee. 31 However,[ck] village houses that have no surrounding wall shall be considered open country;[cl] there is redemption for it, and in the Jubilee it shall go out of the buyer’s hand.[cm]

32 “‘As for[cn] the cities of the Levites, that is, the houses in[co] their property’s cities, it shall be a lasting redemption[cp] for the Levites. 33 And whatever anyone redeems from the Levites then[cq] must go out of the buyer’s hand[cr] in the Jubilee, including a house’s selling in his city’s property,[cs] because the houses in[ct] the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites.[cu] 34 But[cv] a[cw] field of their cities’ pastureland must not be sold, because it is their property for all time.[cx]

35 “‘And if your[cy] countryman[cz] becomes poor and if he becomes dependent on you,[da] then[db] you shall support him like an alien and like a temporary resident, and he shall live with you. 36 You[dc] must not take interest or[dd] usury from him, but[de] you shall revere your God, and your countryman[df] shall live with you. 37 You[dg] must not give your money to him with interest or[dh] give your food for[di] profit. 38 I am Yahweh your[dj] God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you[dk] the land of Canaan, to be as God for you.

39 “‘And if your[dl] countryman[dm] who is with you becomes poor, and he is sold to you, you shall not treat him as a slave.[dn] 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[do] 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.[dp] 43 You[dq] shall not rule over him with ruthlessness, but[dr] you shall revere your God.

44 “‘As for[ds] your[dt] slave and your[du] slave woman who are[dv] yours,[dw] from the nations that are all around you,[dx] from them you[dy] may buy a slave or[dz] a slave woman. 45 And you[ea] may buy also from the children[eb] 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,[ec] they may be as property for you. 46 And you[ed] may pass them on as an inheritance to your[ee] sons[ef] after you[eg] to take possession of as property for all time[eh]—you[ei] may let them work. But[ej] as for your[ek] countrymen,[el] the Israelites,[em] you[en] shall not rule with ruthlessness over one another.[eo]

47 “‘And if the alien or[ep] the temporary resident who are with you[eq] prosper,[er] but[es] your countryman[et] 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[eu] his close relatives[ev] from his clan may redeem him; or if he prospers,[ew] he may redeem himself. 50 And he shall calculate with his buyer from the year of his selling himself[ex] until the Jubilee; and the value of his selling shall be according to the number of years—it shall be with him like[ey] a hired worker’s days. 51 If there are still many years, in keeping with them[ez] he shall restore his redemption in proportion to his purchase price.[fa] 52 And if there are a few years left until the Year of Jubilee, then[fb] he shall calculate for himself; he shall restore his redemption according to the number of his years.[fc] 53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired worker;[fd] he shall not rule over him with ruthlessness in your[fe] sight.[ff] 54 And if he is not redeemed by[fg] any of these ways,[fh] then[fi] he and his sons with him shall go out in the Year of Jubilee. 55 Indeed,[fj] the Israelites[fk] are servants for me; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your[fl] God.’”

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 25:1 Or “And”
  2. Leviticus 25:1 Literally “the mountain of Sinai”
  3. Leviticus 25:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  4. Leviticus 25:2 Plural
  5. Leviticus 25:2 Plural
  6. Leviticus 25:2 Or “and”
  7. Leviticus 25:3 Singular throughout this verse
  8. Leviticus 25:4 Or “And”
  9. Leviticus 25:4 Literally “a Sabbath of ‘Sabbathation.’” “Sabbathation” is not a real word, but it is devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase
  10. Leviticus 25:4 Singular throughout this verse
  11. Leviticus 25:5 Singular throughout this verse
  12. Leviticus 25:5 Literally “a year of a rest period”
  13. Leviticus 25:6 Plural
  14. Leviticus 25:6 Singular here and through the rest of this verse
  15. Leviticus 25:6 Collective singular; Hebrew “temporary resident”
  16. Leviticus 25:7 Singular throughout this verse
  17. Leviticus 25:8 Singular throughout this verse
  18. Leviticus 25:8 Literally “days of”
  19. Leviticus 25:8 Literally “nine and forty”
  20. Leviticus 25:9 Singular
  21. Leviticus 25:9 Literally “a ram’s horn of a blast”
  22. Leviticus 25:9 Plural
  23. Leviticus 25:9 Plural
  24. Leviticus 25:10 Plural throughout this verse
  25. Leviticus 25:10 Or “each of you must return to his property and to his clan”
  26. Leviticus 25:11 Plural throughout this verse
  27. Leviticus 25:11 Literally “a Jubilee it the year of the fiftieth year it shall be for you”
  28. Leviticus 25:12 That is, the field’s
  29. Leviticus 25:13 Plural
  30. Leviticus 25:13 Literally “you shall return a man” or “you shall return everyone”
  31. Leviticus 25:14 Plural
  32. Leviticus 25:14 Singular
  33. Leviticus 25:14 Singular
  34. Leviticus 25:14 Plural
  35. Leviticus 25:14 Literally “a man his brother”
  36. Leviticus 25:15 Singular throughout this verse
  37. Leviticus 25:16 Singular throughout this verse
  38. Leviticus 25:16 Literally “to the mouth of many of the years”
  39. Leviticus 25:16 Or “and”
  40. Leviticus 25:16 Literally “to the mouth of few of the years”
  41. Leviticus 25:17 Plural
  42. Leviticus 25:17 Literally “a man his citizen”
  43. Leviticus 25:17 Or “and”
  44. Leviticus 25:17 Singular
  45. Leviticus 25:17 Plural
  46. Leviticus 25:18 Plural throughout this verse
  47. Leviticus 25:18 Or “and”
  48. Leviticus 25:18 Literally “with confidence”
  49. Leviticus 25:19 Plural throughout this verse
  50. Leviticus 25:19 Literally “to contentment”
  51. Leviticus 25:19 Literally “with confidence”
  52. Leviticus 25:20 Plural
  53. Leviticus 25:20 Literally “look”
  54. Leviticus 25:21 Or “and”
  55. Leviticus 25:21 Plural
  56. Leviticus 25:21 Or “and”
  57. Leviticus 25:21 Or “produce”
  58. Leviticus 25:22 Plural throughout this verse
  59. Leviticus 25:22 The verse divides here
  60. Leviticus 25:23 Or “And”
  61. Leviticus 25:23 Or “for”
  62. Leviticus 25:23 Plural
  63. Leviticus 25:24 Plural
  64. Leviticus 25:24 Plural
  65. Leviticus 25:25 Singular
  66. Leviticus 25:25 Or “and”
  67. Leviticus 25:25 Literally “his redeemer the nearest to him”
  68. Leviticus 25:26 Or “And”
  69. Leviticus 25:26 Or “when”
  70. Leviticus 25:26 Literally “it is not for him”
  71. Leviticus 25:26 Or “and”
  72. Leviticus 25:26 Literally “his hand produces”
  73. Leviticus 25:27 Or “and”
  74. Leviticus 25:28 Or “And”
  75. Leviticus 25:28 Or “and”
  76. Leviticus 25:28 Literally “his thing sold”
  77. Leviticus 25:28 Meaning derived from context; an alternative translation could be “shall not be released” (cf. NKJV, NRSV, ESV, NJPS) or “shall not revert” (NASB, NET)
  78. Leviticus 25:29 Literally “a house of a dwelling of a city wall”
  79. Leviticus 25:29 Or “and”
  80. Leviticus 25:29 Literally “a year of his selling”
  81. Leviticus 25:29 Literally “shall be”
  82. Leviticus 25:29 Literally “days”
  83. Leviticus 25:30 Or “And”
  84. Leviticus 25:30 Literally “until the fulfilling of for him/it an entire year”
  85. Leviticus 25:30 Or “and”
  86. Leviticus 25:30 Literally “in the city that for it a wall”
  87. Leviticus 25:30 Hebrew “for”
  88. Leviticus 25:30 Meaning derived from context; an alternative translation could be “shall not be released” (cf. NKJV, NRSV, ESV, NJPS) or “shall not revert” (NASB, NET)
  89. Leviticus 25:31 Or “And” or “But”
  90. Leviticus 25:31 Literally “the field of the land”
  91. Leviticus 25:31 Meaning derived from context; an alternative translation could be “shall not be released” (cf. NKJV, NRSV, ESV, NJPS) or “shall not revert” (NASB, NET)
  92. Leviticus 25:32 Or “And”
  93. Leviticus 25:32 Hebrew “of”
  94. Leviticus 25:32 Or “a permanent redemption”; literally “redemption of eternity” or “redemption of long duration”
  95. Leviticus 25:33 Or “and”
  96. Leviticus 25:33 Meaning derived from context; an alternative translation could be “shall not be released” (cf. NKJV, NRSV, ESV, NJPS) or “shall not revert” (NASB, NET)
  97. Leviticus 25:33 Literally “the city of his property”
  98. Leviticus 25:33 Hebrew “of”
  99. Leviticus 25:33 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  100. Leviticus 25:34 Or “And”
  101. Leviticus 25:34 Hebrew “the”
  102. Leviticus 25:34 Literally “a property of eternity it is for them” or “a property of long duration it is for them”
  103. Leviticus 25:35 Singular throughout this verse
  104. Leviticus 25:35 Or “brother”
  105. Leviticus 25:35 Literally “and his hand is shaky with you”
  106. Leviticus 25:35 Or “and”
  107. Leviticus 25:36 Singular throughout this verse
  108. Leviticus 25:36 Or “and”
  109. Leviticus 25:36 Or “and”
  110. Leviticus 25:36 Or “brother”
  111. Leviticus 25:37 Singular throughout this verse
  112. Leviticus 25:37 Or “and”
  113. Leviticus 25:37 Or “in” or “with”
  114. Leviticus 25:38 Plural throughout this verse
  115. Leviticus 25:38 Literally “to you”
  116. Leviticus 25:39 Singular throughout this verse
  117. Leviticus 25:39 Or “brother”
  118. 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”
  119. Leviticus 25:41 Or “fathers”
  120. Leviticus 25:42 Literally “a selling of a slave”
  121. Leviticus 25:43 Singular throughout this verse
  122. Leviticus 25:43 Or “and”
  123. Leviticus 25:44 Or “And”
  124. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  125. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  126. Leviticus 25:44 Or “may be” (permission; cf. NASU, ESV, NRSV) or “can be” (ability)
  127. Leviticus 25:44 Singular
  128. Leviticus 25:44 Plural
  129. Leviticus 25:44 Plural
  130. Leviticus 25:44 Or “and”
  131. Leviticus 25:45 Plural throughout this verse
  132. Leviticus 25:45 Or “sons”
  133. Leviticus 25:45 Or “and”
  134. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  135. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  136. Leviticus 25:46 Or “children”
  137. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  138. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “to eternity” or “forever” or “for a long duration”
  139. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  140. Leviticus 25:46 Or “And”
  141. Leviticus 25:46 Plural
  142. Leviticus 25:46 Or “brothers”
  143. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  144. Leviticus 25:46 Singular
  145. Leviticus 25:46 Literally “a man over his brother”
  146. Leviticus 25:47 Or “and”
  147. Leviticus 25:47 Singular throughout this verse
  148. Leviticus 25:47 Literally “the hand produces”
  149. Leviticus 25:47 Or “and”
  150. Leviticus 25:47 Or “brother”
  151. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “from”
  152. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “the direct relative of his flesh”
  153. Leviticus 25:49 Literally “his hand produces”
  154. Leviticus 25:50 Literally “his being sold for him”
  155. Leviticus 25:50 Or “as”
  156. Leviticus 25:51 Literally “to the mouth of them”
  157. Leviticus 25:51 Literally “from the price of his acquisition”
  158. Leviticus 25:52 Or “and”
  159. Leviticus 25:52 Literally “according to the mouth of his years”
  160. Leviticus 25:53 Literally “as a hired worker of a year in a year”
  161. Leviticus 25:53 Singular
  162. Leviticus 25:53 Literally “to your eyes” or “for your eyes”
  163. Leviticus 25:54 Or “in”
  164. Leviticus 25:54 Bracketed words provided from the sense of the context
  165. Leviticus 25:54 Or “and”
  166. 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”
  167. Leviticus 25:55 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  168. Leviticus 25:55 Plural

The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,(A) “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. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.(B) 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) 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. 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, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals(I) in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee(J)(K)

“‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet(L) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;(M) on the Day of Atonement(N) sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty(O) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee(P) for you; each of you is to return to your family property(Q) and to your own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee(R) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.(S) 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee(T) everyone is to return to their own property.

14 “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.(U) 15 You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years(V) since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. 16 When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price,(W) because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. 17 Do not take advantage of each other,(X) but fear your God.(Y) I am the Lord your God.(Z)

18 “‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws,(AA) and you will live safely in the land.(AB) 19 Then the land will yield its fruit,(AC) and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.(AD) 20 You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year(AE) if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21 I will send you such a blessing(AF) in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.(AG) 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.(AH)

23 “‘The land(AI) must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine(AJ) and you reside in my land as foreigners(AK) and strangers. 24 Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption(AL) of the land.

25 “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative(AM) is to come and redeem(AN) what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper(AO) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years(AP) 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.(AQ) 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(AR) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.(AS)

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. 30 If 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. 31 But 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,(AT) which they possess. 33 So 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. 34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.(AU)

35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor(AV) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them(AW) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest(AX) or any profit from them, but fear your God,(AY) so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest(AZ) 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(BA) and to be your God.(BB)

39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.(BC) 40 They are to be treated as hired workers(BD) 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(BE) of their ancestors.(BF) 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,(BG) they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly,(BH) but fear your God.(BI)

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(BJ) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption(BK) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives(BL) may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,(BM) 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.(BN) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker(BO) 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.(BP) 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.(BQ)

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.(BR) I am the Lord your God.(BS)