²⁵ If your brother has become poor and has sold some of his property, if any of his kin comes to redeem it, he shall [be allowed to] redeem what his brother has sold.

²⁶ And if the man has no one to redeem his property, and he himself has become more prosperous and has enough to redeem it,

²⁷ Then let him count the years since he sold it and restore the overpayment to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his ancestral possession.^(A)

²⁸ But if he is unable to redeem it, it shall remain in the buyer’s possession until the Year of Jubilee, when it shall be set free and he may return to it.

²⁹ If a man sells a dwelling house in a fortified city, he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year he may have the right of redemption.

³⁰ And if it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house that is in the fortified city shall be made sure, permanently and without limitations, for him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not go free in the Year of Jubilee.

³¹ But the houses of the unwalled villages shall be counted with the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall go free in the Year of Jubilee.

³² Nevertheless, the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

³³ But if a house is not redeemed by a Levite, the sold house in the city they possess shall go free in the Year of Jubilee, for the houses in the Levite cities are their ancestral possession among the Israelites.

³⁴ But the field of unenclosed or pasture lands of their cities may not be sold; it is their perpetual possession.

³⁵ And if your [Israelite] brother has become poor and his hand wavers [from poverty, sickness, or age and he is unable to support himself], then you shall uphold (strengthen, relieve) him, [treating him with the courtesy and consideration that you would] a stranger or a temporary resident with you [without property], so that he may live [along] with you.^(B)

³⁶ Charge him no interest or [portion of] increase, but fear your God, so your brother may [continue to] live along with you.

³⁷ You shall not give him your money at interest nor lend him food at a profit.

³⁸ I am the Lord your God, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

³⁹ And if your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a bondman (a slave not eligible for redemption),

⁴⁰ But as a hired servant and as a temporary resident he shall be with you; he shall serve you till the Year of Jubilee,

⁴¹ And then he shall depart from you, he and his children with him, and shall go back to his own family and return to the possession of his fathers.

⁴² For the Israelites are My servants; I brought them out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen.^(C)

⁴³ You shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression), but you shall [reverently] fear your God.^(D)

⁴⁴ As for your bondmen and your bondmaids whom you may have, they shall be from the nations round about you, of whom you may buy bondmen and bondmaids.

⁴⁵ Moreover, of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy and of their families that are with you which they have begotten in your land, and they shall be your possession.

⁴⁶ And you shall make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them shall you take your bondmen always, but over your brethren the Israelites you shall not rule one over another with harshness (severity, oppression).

⁴⁷ And if a sojourner or stranger with you becomes rich and your [Israelite] brother becomes poor beside him and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger’s family,

⁴⁸ After he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brethren may redeem him:

⁴⁹ Either his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or a near kinsman may redeem him; or if he has enough and is able, he may redeem himself.

⁵⁰ And [the redeemer] shall reckon with the purchaser of the servant from the year when he sold himself to the purchaser to the Year of Jubilee, and the price of his release shall be adjusted according to the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be counted as that of a hired servant.

⁵¹ If there remain many years [before the Year of Jubilee], in proportion to them he must refund [to the purchaser] for his release [the overpayment] for his acquisition.

⁵² And if little time remains until the Year of Jubilee, he shall count it over with him and he shall refund the proportionate amount for his release.

⁵³ And as a servant hired year by year shall he deal with him; he shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression) in your sight [make sure of that].

⁵⁴ And if he is not redeemed during these years and by these means, then he shall go free in the Year of Jubilee, he and his children with him.

⁵⁵ For to Me the Israelites are servants, My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

4 I therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service,

² Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

³ Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

⁴ [There is] one body and one Spirit—just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received—

⁵ [There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.