Leviticus 25:11-21

11 for it is the jubilee, and the fiftieth year (for the fiftieth year is the Jubilee Year). Ye shall not sow, neither ye shall reap those things, that come forth freely in the field, and ye shall not gather (in) the first fruits of [the] vintage,

12 for (it is) the hallowing of [the] jubilee; but anon ye shall eat things taken away; (for it is the Jubilee, and it shall be holy to you; ye shall only eat things taken from off the land;)

13 in the year of jubilee, all men go again to their possessions. (and in the Jubilee Year, everyone shall return to their possessions.)

14 When thou shalt sell anything to thy citizen(ry), either shalt buy of him, make thou not sorry, (or heavy,) thy brother, (When thou shalt sell anything to a fellow citizen, or thou shalt buy anything from him, do not thou oppress one another,)

15 but by the number of the years of [the] jubilee thou shalt buy of him (but by the number of the years since the Jubilee, thou shalt buy from him), and by the reckoning of fruits, (or by the annual harvests,) he shall sell to thee.

16 (That is,) By as much as more years dwell after the jubilee, by so much also the price shall increase, and by as much as thou numberest less of time, by so much and the buying shall cost less (by so much the buying, or the purchasing, shall cost less); for he shall sell to thee the time of (the) fruits.

17 Do not ye torment men of your lineages, but each man dread his God; for I am your Lord God. (Do not ye torment anyone in your tribes, but each person fear his God; for I am the Lord your God.)

18 Do ye my behests, and keep ye my dooms, and fulfill ye those, that ye may dwell in (t)his land without any dread, (Do ye my commands, and obey ye my judgements, and fulfill ye them, so that ye shall live in this land without any fear,)

19 and that the earth bring forth his fruits to you (and so that the land shall bring forth its harvest for you), which ye shall eat till to fullness, and dread not the assailing of any man.

20 That if ye say (And if ye say to me), What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we sow not, neither gather (in) our fruits?

21 (For an answer,) I shall give my blessing to you in the sixth year, and it shall make [the] fruits of three years;

Leviticus 25:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 25

In this chapter the Israelites are directed, when come into the land of Canaan, to observe every seventh year as a sabbatical year, in which there was to be no tillage of the land, and yet there would be a sufficiency for man and beast, Le 25:1-7; and every fiftieth year as a year of jubilee, in which also there was to be no tillage of the land, and every man was to return to his possession or estate, which had been sold to another any time before this, Le 25:8-17; and a promise of safety and plenty in the seventh year is made to encourage the observance of it, Le 25:18-22; and several laws and rules are delivered out concerning the sale of lands, the redemption of them, and their return to their original owner in the year of jubilee, Le 25:23-28; and the sale of houses, and the redemption of them, and the difference between those in walled cities and those in villages, with respect thereunto, Le 25:29-31; and also concerning the houses of the cities of the Levites, and the fields of the suburbs of them, Le 25:32-34; to which are added some instructions about relieving decayed, persons, and lending and giving to them, without taking usury of them, Le 25:34-38; and other laws concerning the release of such Israelites as had sold themselves for servants to the Israelites, in the year of jubilee, since none but Heathens were to be bondmen and bondmaids for ever, Le 25:39-46; and of such who were sold to proselytes, Le 25:47-55.