Leviticus 25:45-55

45 You may also buy them from the foreigners living among you and from their families born in your country. They will be your property.

46 You may acquire them for yourselves and for your descendants as permanent property. You may work them as slaves. However, do not treat the Israelites harshly. They are your relatives.

47 "Someone who is a foreigner without a permanent home among you may become rich, and your relative living with him may be poor. The poor Israelite may sell himself to that foreigner or a member of his family.

48 After he has sold himself, he has the right to be bought back. One of his brothers may buy him back.

49 His uncle, his cousin, or some other relative could also buy him back. If he becomes rich, he could buy his own freedom.

50 Then he and his buyer must take into account the number of years from the year he was bought until the year of jubilee. His sale price will be adjusted based on the number of years he was with his buyer, like the wages of a hired worker.

51 If there are many years left, he must refund from his purchase price an amount equal [to those years].

52 If there are only a few years left until the year of jubilee, he must take them into account. He must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years.

53 During those years he should serve his buyer as a hired worker. His buyer should not treat him harshly.

54 If he cannot buy his freedom in these ways, he and his children will be released in the year of jubilee.

55 "The Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Leviticus 25:45-55 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.