Rules for the Ruler

¹⁶ “‘This is what the Lord God says: If the ·ruler [prince] gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his sons, that land will belong to the son and then to the son’s children. It is their property ·passed down from their family [^Lby inheritance]. ¹⁷ But if the ruler gives a gift from his ·land [inheritance] to any of his servants, that land will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom [^Cthe year of Jubilee; Lev. 25:8–15]. Then the land will go back to the ·ruler [prince]. ·Only the ruler’s sons may keep a gift of land from the ruler [^LHis inheritance shall be only for his sons]. ¹⁸ The ·ruler [prince] must not take any of the people’s ·land [inheritance], forcing them out of their land. He must give his sons ·some of his own land [inheritance from his own property] so my people will not be scattered out of their own land.’”