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)

The Year of Jubilee^(A)(B)

⁸ “‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. ⁹ Then have the trumpet^(C) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;^(D) on the Day of Atonement^(E) sound the trumpet throughout your land. ¹⁰ Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty^(F) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee^(G) for you; each of you is to return to your family property^(H) and to your own clan. ¹¹ The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee^(I) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.^{(J) 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^(K) everyone is to return to their own property.

³⁵ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor^(A) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them^(B) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. ³⁶ Do not take interest^(C) or any profit from them, but fear your God,^(D) so that they may continue to live among you. ³⁷ You must not lend them money at interest^(E) 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^(F) and to be your God.^(G)

³⁹ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.^{(H) 40} They are to be treated as hired workers^(I) 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^(J) of their ancestors.^(K)

⁵⁵ for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.^(A) I am the Lord your God.^(B)