Leviticus 25:35-55

35An Israelite may become poor. He may not be able to feed his family. You must help him. You would help a visitor or a foreigner in the same way. You must help the man so that he can continue to live among you.

36The man must not pay back more than you gave to him. You must obey your God.

37The person who is feeding the man might give money or food to him. He must not ask for more back than he gave.

38I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. I brought you into this land to be your God.

39If an Israelite becomes poor, he might sell himself to you. But he must not work for you as a slave. You must pay him to work as your servant.

40He must work for you until the next Jubilee year.

41In the Jubilee year, you will make him free. He and his children can go back to his own home and family.

42Israel's people belong to God. I took them out of Egypt. They must not be slaves.

43You must be kind to all Israelites. Remember to obey your God.

44Israel's people can buy male and female slaves. Those slaves must come from other countries.

45And Israelites can buy people from other countries who live among them. They may have children who were born in your land. You can buy them. They will become slaves.

46You can give the slaves to your children when you die. But you must rule Israel's people in a kind way.

47A person from another country may become rich. Then he might buy an Israelite who became poor. But the poor man can buy himself back at any time.

48A person from the family of the poor man can buy him back.

49A brother or a cousin of the poor man can buy him back. If the poor man becomes rich, he can pay to make himself free.

50The man and the person who bought him must count the time until the Jubilee year. The man must pay the right amount of money to be free.

51The Jubilee year may be many years away. If it is, the man must pay a lot of money to be free.

52There may be a few years until the Jubilee year. If there are, he has to pay only a small amount of money to be free.

53The person who has bought the man must pay him each year. You must cause the rich man to be kind to the man.

54Perhaps nobody will pay any money for the man. But the man who bought him must make him free in the Jubilee year.

55Israel's people belong to me. I brought them out of Egypt. They are my servants. I am the Lord.