Leviticus 25:1-55 TLB

[1] While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord gave him these instructions for the people of Israel: "When you come into the land I am going to give you, you must let the land rest before the Lord every seventh year. [3] For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, [4] but during the seventh year the land is to lie fallow before the Lord, uncultivated. Don't sow your crops and don't prune your vineyards during that entire year. [5] Don't even reap for yourself the volunteer crops that come up, and don't gather the grapes for yourself; for it is a year of rest for the land. [6] Any crops that do grow that year shall be free to all-for you, your servants, your slaves, and any foreigners living among you. Cattle and wild animals alike shall be allowed to graze there. [8] "Every fiftieth year, [9] on the Day of Atonement, let the trumpets blow loud and long throughout the land. [10] For the fiftieth year shall be holy, a time to proclaim liberty throughout the land to all enslaved debtors, and a time for the canceling of all public and private debts. It shall be a year when all the family estates sold to others shall be returned to the original owners or their heirs. [11] "What a happy year it will be! In it you shall not sow, nor gather crops nor grapes; [12] for it is a holy Year of Jubilee for you. That year your food shall be the volunteer crops that grow wild in the fields. [13] Yes, during the Year of Jubilee everyone shall return home to his original family possession; if he has sold it, it shall be his again! [14] Because of this, if the land is sold or bought during the preceding forty-nine years, a fair price shall be arrived at by counting the number of years until the Jubilee. If the Jubilee is many years away, the price will be high; if few years, the price will be low; for what you are really doing is selling the number of crops the new owner will get from the land before it is returned to you. [17] "You must fear your God and not overcharge! For I am Jehovah. Obey my laws if you want to live safely in the land. [19] When you obey, the land will yield bumper crops and you can eat your fill in safety. [20] But you will ask, 'What shall we eat the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?' [21] The answer is, 'I will bless you with bumper crops the sixth year that will last you until the crops of the eighth year are harvested!' [23] And remember, the land is mine, so you may not sell it permanently. You are merely my tenants and sharecroppers! [24] "In every contract of sale there must be a stipulation that the land can be redeemed at any time by the seller. [25] If anyone becomes poor and sells some of his land, then his nearest relatives may redeem it. [26] If there is no one else to redeem it, and he himself gets together enough money, [27] then he may always buy it back at a price proportionate to the number of harvests until the Jubilee, and the owner must accept the money and return the land to him. [28] But if the original owner is not able to redeem it, then it shall belong to the new owner until the Year of Jubilee; but at the Jubilee year it must be returned again. [29] "If a man sells a house in the city, he has up to one year to redeem it, with full right of redemption during that time. [30] But if it is not redeemed within the year, then it will belong permanently to the new owner-it does not return to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. [31] But village houses-a village is a settlement without fortifying walls around it-are like farmland, redeemable at any time, and are always returned to the original owner in the Year of Jubilee. [32] "There is one exception: The homes of the Levites, even though in walled cities, may be redeemed at any time, [33] and must be returned to the original owners in the Year of Jubilee; for the Levites will not be given farmland like the other tribes, but will receive only houses in their cities, and the surrounding fields. [34] The Levites are not permitted to sell the fields of common land surrounding their cities, for these are their permanent possession, and they must belong to no one else. [35] "If your brother becomes poor, you are responsible to help him; invite him to live with you as a guest in your home. [36] Fear your God and let your brother live with you; and don't charge him interest on the money you lend him. [37] Remember-no interest; and give him what he needs, at your cost: don't try to make a profit! [38] For I, the Lord your God, brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. [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.