Leviticus 25:25-55

25‘1If a 2fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his 3relative has sold. 26Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so 4recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, 275then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. 28But if 6he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall 7revert, that 8he may return to his property.

29‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. 30But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not 9revert in the jubilee. 31The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall shall be considered 10as open fields; they have redemption rights and 11revert in the jubilee. 32As for 12cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. 33What, therefore, 13belongs to the Levites may be redeemed and a house sale 14in the city of this possession 15reverts in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. 3416But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession.

35‘17Now in case a 18countryman of yours becomes poor and his 19means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 3620Do not take 21usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your 22countryman may live with you. 37You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. 3823I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and 24to be your God.

39‘25If a 26countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service. 40He shall be with you as a hired man, as 27if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. 41He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. 42For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. 4328You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. 44As for your male and female slaves whom you may have--you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. 45Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have 29produced in your land; they also may become your possession. 46You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. 30But in respect to your 31countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another.

47‘Now if the 32means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a 33countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, 48then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or 3435if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. 51If there are still many years, 36he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. 53Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; 37he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. 54Even if he is not redeemed by 38these means, 39he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. 55For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.