Leviticus 25:39-55

Living Bible

³⁹ “If a fellow Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to you, you must not treat him as an ordinary slave, ⁴⁰ but rather as a hired servant or as a guest; and he shall serve you only until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹ At that time he can leave with his children and return to his own family and possessions. ⁴² For I brought you from the land of Egypt, and you are my servants; so you may not be sold as ordinary slaves ⁴³ or treated harshly; fear your God.

⁴⁴ “However, you may purchase slaves from the foreign nations living around you, ⁴⁵ and you may purchase the children of the foreigners living among you, even though they have been born in your land. ⁴⁶ They will be permanent slaves for you to pass on to your children after you; but your brothers, the people of Israel, shall not be treated so.

⁴⁷ “If a foreigner living among you becomes rich, and an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner or to the foreigner’s family, ⁴⁸ he may be redeemed by one of his brothers, ⁴⁹ his uncle, nephew, or anyone else who is a near relative. He may also redeem himself if he can find the money. ⁵⁰ The price of his freedom shall be in proportion to the number of years left before the Year of Jubilee—whatever it would cost to hire a servant for that number of years. ⁵¹ If there are still many years until the Jubilee, he shall pay almost the amount he received when he sold himself; ⁵² if the years have passed and only a few remain until the Jubilee, then he will repay only a small part of the amount he received when he sold himself. ⁵³ If he sells himself to a foreigner, the foreigner must treat him as a hired servant rather than as a slave or as property. ⁵⁴ If he has not been redeemed by the time the Year of Jubilee arrives, then he and his children shall be freed at that time. ⁵⁵ For the people of Israel are my servants; I brought them from the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.