Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Leviticus » Chapter 25 » Verse 1-55

Leviticus 25:1-55 King James Version (KJV)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee.

7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.

12 For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.

13 In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbor, or buyest ought of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:

16 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.

17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;

27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.

28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.

30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.

31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

33 And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.

36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:

40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee.

41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God.

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.

47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

49 Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

51 If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight.

54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him.

55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.


Leviticus 25:1-55 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses H4872 in mount H2022 Sinai, H5514 saying, H559

2 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye come H935 into the land H776 which I give H5414 you, then shall the land H776 keep H7673 a sabbath H7676 unto the LORD. H3068

3 Six H8337 years H8141 thou shalt sow H2232 thy field, H7704 and six H8337 years H8141 thou shalt prune H2168 thy vineyard, H3754 and gather H622 in the fruit H8393 thereof;

4 But in the seventh H7637 year H8141 shall be a sabbath H7676 of rest H7677 unto the land, H776 a sabbath H7676 for the LORD: H3068 thou shalt neither sow H2232 thy field, H7704 nor prune H2168 thy vineyard. H3754

5 That which groweth of its own accord H5599 of thy harvest H7105 thou shalt not reap, H7114 neither gather H1219 the grapes H6025 of thy vine undressed: H5139 for it is a year H8141 of rest H7677 unto the land. H776

6 And the sabbath H7676 of the land H776 shall be meat H402 for you; for thee, and for thy servant, H5650 and for thy maid, H519 and for thy hired servant, H7916 and for thy stranger H8453 that sojourneth H1481 with thee,

7 And for thy cattle, H929 and for the beast H2416 that are in thy land, H776 shall all the increase H8393 thereof be meat. H398

8 And thou shalt number H5608 seven H7651 sabbaths H7676 of years H8141 unto thee, seven H7651 times H6471 seven H7651 years; H8141 and the space H3117 of the seven H7651 sabbaths H7676 of years H8141 shall be unto thee forty H705 and nine H8672 years. H8141

9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet H7782 of the jubile H8643 to sound H5674 on the tenth H6218 day of the seventh H7637 month, H2320 in the day H3117 of atonement H3725 shall ye make the trumpet H7782 sound H5674 throughout all your land. H776

10 And ye shall hallow H6942 the fiftieth H2572 H8141 year, H8141 and proclaim H7121 liberty H1865 throughout all the land H776 unto all the inhabitants H3427 thereof: it shall be a jubile H3104 unto you; and ye shall return H7725 every man H376 unto his possession, H272 and ye shall return H7725 every man H376 unto his family. H4940

11 A jubile H3104 shall that fiftieth H2572 H8141 year H8141 be unto you: ye shall not sow, H2232 neither reap H7114 that which groweth H5599 of itself in it, nor gather H1219 the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. H5139

12 For it is the jubile; H3104 it shall be holy H6944 unto you: ye shall eat H398 the increase H8393 thereof out of the field. H7704

13 In the year H8141 of this jubile H3104 ye shall return H7725 every man H376 unto his possession. H272

14 And if thou sell H4376 ought H4465 unto thy neighbour, H5997 or buyest H7069 ought of thy neighbour's H5997 hand, H3027 ye shall not oppress H3238 one H376 another: H251

15 According to the number H4557 of years H8141 after H310 the jubile H3104 thou shalt buy H7069 of thy neighbour, H5997 and according unto the number H4557 of years H8141 of the fruits H8393 he shall sell H4376 unto thee:

16 According H6310 to the multitude H7230 of years H8141 thou shalt increase H7235 the price H4736 thereof, and according H6310 to the fewness H4591 of years H8141 thou shalt diminish H4591 the price H4736 of it: for according to the number H4557 of the years of the fruits H8393 doth he sell H4376 unto thee.

17 Ye shall not therefore oppress H3238 one H376 another; H5997 but thou shalt fear H3372 thy God: H430 for I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430

18 Wherefore ye shall do H6213 my statutes, H2708 and keep H8104 my judgments, H4941 and do H6213 them; and ye shall dwell H3427 in the land H776 in safety. H983

19 And the land H776 shall yield H5414 her fruit, H6529 and ye shall eat H398 your fill, H7648 and dwell H3427 therein in safety. H983

20 And if ye shall say, H559 What shall we eat H398 the seventh H7637 year? H8141 behold, we shall not sow, H2232 nor gather H622 in our increase: H8393

21 Then I will command H6680 my blessing H1293 upon you in the sixth H8345 year, H8141 and it shall bring forth H6213 fruit H8393 for three H7969 years. H8141

22 And ye shall sow H2232 the eighth H8066 year, H8141 and eat H398 yet of old H3465 fruit H8393 until the ninth H8671 year; H8141 until her fruits H8393 come in H935 ye shall eat H398 of the old H3465 store.

23 The land H776 shall not be sold H4376 for ever: H6783 for the land H776 is mine; for ye are strangers H1616 and sojourners H8453 with me.

24 And in all the land H776 of your possession H272 ye shall grant H5414 a redemption H1353 for the land. H776

25 If thy brother H251 be waxen poor, H4134 and hath sold H4376 away some of his possession, H272 and if any of his kin H7138 come H935 to redeem H1350 it, then shall he redeem H1350 that which his brother H251 sold. H4465

26 And if the man H376 have none to redeem H1350 it, and himself H3027 be able H1767 H5381 to redeem H4672 H1353 it;

27 Then let him count H2803 the years H8141 of the sale H4465 thereof, and restore H7725 the overplus H5736 unto the man H376 to whom he sold H4376 it; that he may return H7725 unto his possession. H272

28 But if he H3027 be not able H1767 to restore H4672 H7725 it to him, then that which is sold H4465 shall remain in the hand H3027 of him that hath bought H7069 it until the year H8141 of jubile: H3104 and in the jubile H3104 it shall go out, H3318 and he shall return H7725 unto his possession. H272

29 And if a man H376 sell H4376 a dwelling H4186 house H1004 in a walled H2346 city, H5892 then he may redeem H1353 it within a whole H8552 year H8141 after it is sold; H4465 within a full year H3117 may he redeem H1353 it.

30 And if it be not redeemed H1350 within the space H4390 of a full H8549 year, H8141 then the house H1004 that is in the walled H2346 city H5892 shall be established H6965 for ever H6783 to him that bought H7069 it throughout his generations: H1755 it shall not go out H3318 in the jubile. H3104

31 But the houses H1004 of the villages H2691 which have no wall H2346 round about H5439 them shall be counted H2803 as the fields H7704 of the country: H776 they may be redeemed, H1353 and they shall go out H3318 in the jubile. H3104

32 Notwithstanding the cities H5892 of the Levites, H3881 and the houses H1004 of the cities H5892 of their possession, H272 may the Levites H3881 redeem H1353 at any time. H5769

33 And if a man purchase H1350 of the Levites, H3881 then the house H1004 that was sold, H4465 and the city H5892 of his possession, H272 shall go out H3318 in the year of jubile: H3104 for the houses H1004 of the cities H5892 of the Levites H3881 are their possession H272 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478

34 But the field H7704 of the suburbs H4054 of their cities H5892 may not be sold; H4376 for it is their perpetual H5769 possession. H272

35 And if thy brother H251 be waxen poor, H4134 and fallen in decay H4131 with thee; H3027 then thou shalt relieve H2388 him: yea, though he be a stranger, H1616 or a sojourner; H8453 that he may live H2416 with thee.

36 Take H3947 thou no usury H5392 of him, or increase: H8636 but fear H3372 thy God; H430 that thy brother H251 may live H2416 with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give H5414 him thy money H3701 upon usury, H5392 nor lend H5414 him thy victuals H400 for increase. H4768

38 I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which brought you forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 to give H5414 you the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and to be your God. H430

39 And if thy brother H251 that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, H4134 and be sold H4376 unto thee; thou shalt not compel H5647 him to serve H5656 as a bondservant: H5650

40 But as an hired servant, H7916 and as a sojourner, H8453 he shall be with thee, and shall serve H5647 thee unto the year H8141 of jubile: H3104

41 And then shall he depart H3318 from thee, both he and his children H1121 with him, and shall return H7725 unto his own family, H4940 and unto the possession H272 of his fathers H1 shall he return. H7725

42 For they are my servants, H5650 which I brought forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 they shall not be sold H4376 as H4466 bondmen. H5650

43 Thou shalt not rule H7287 over him with rigour; H6531 but shalt fear H3372 thy God. H430

44 Both thy bondmen, H5650 and thy bondmaids, H519 which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen H1471 that are round about H5439 you; of them shall ye buy H7069 bondmen H5650 and bondmaids. H519

45 Moreover of the children H1121 of the strangers H8453 that do sojourn H1481 among you, of them shall ye buy, H7069 and of their families H4940 that are with you, which they begat H3205 in your land: H776 and they shall be your possession. H272

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance H5157 for your children H1121 after H310 you, to inherit H3423 them for a possession; H272 they shall be your bondmen H5647 for ever: H5769 but over your brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 ye shall not rule H7287 one H376 over another H251 with rigour. H6531

47 And if a sojourner H1616 or stranger H8453 wax rich H5381 by thee, H3027 and thy brother H251 that dwelleth by him wax poor, H4134 and sell H4376 himself unto the stranger H1616 or sojourner H8453 by thee, or to the stock H6133 of the stranger's H1616 family: H4940

48 After H310 that he is sold H4376 he may be redeemed again; H1353 one H259 of his brethren H251 may redeem H1350 him:

49 Either his uncle, H1730 or his uncle's H1730 son, H1121 may redeem H1350 him, or any that is nigh H7607 of kin H1320 unto him of his family H4940 may redeem H1350 him; or if he be able, H5381 he may redeem H1350 himself. H3027

50 And he shall reckon H2803 with him that bought H7069 him from the year H8141 that he was sold H4376 to him unto the year H8141 of jubile: H3104 and the price H3701 of his sale H4465 shall be according unto the number H4557 of years, H8141 according to the time H3117 of an hired servant H7916 shall it be with him.

51 If there be yet many H7227 years H8141 behind, according H6310 unto them he shall give again H7725 the price of his redemption H1353 out of the money H3701 that he was bought H4736 for.

52 And if there remain H7604 but few H4592 years H8141 unto the year H8141 of jubile, H3104 then he shall count H2803 with him, and according H6310 unto his years H8141 shall he give him again H7725 the price of his redemption. H1353

53 And as a yearly H8141 H8141 hired servant H7916 shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule H7287 with rigour H6531 over him in thy sight. H5869

54 And if he be not redeemed H1350 in these years, then he shall go out H3318 in the year H8141 of jubile, H3104 both he, and his children H1121 with him.

55 For unto me the children H1121 of Israel H3478 are servants; H5650 they are my servants H5650 whom I brought forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430


Leviticus 25:1-55 American Standard (ASV)

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto Jehovah.

3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruits thereof;

4 but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath unto Jehovah: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

5 That which groweth of itself of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, and the grapes of thy undressed vine thou shalt not gather: it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.

6 And the sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for thee, and for thy servant and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant and for thy stranger, who sojourn with thee.

7 And for thy cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be for food.

8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and there shall be unto thee the days of seven sabbaths of years, even forty and nine years.

9 Then shalt thou send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the day of atonement shall ye send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land.

10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather `the grapes' in it of the undressed vines.

12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.

13 In this year of jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

14 And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buy of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not wrong one another.

15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, `and' according unto the number of years of the crops he shall sell unto thee.

16 According to the multitude of the years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of the years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for the number of the crops doth he sell unto thee.

17 And ye shall not wrong one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am Jehovah your God.

18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep mine ordinances and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 And the land shall yield its fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;

21 then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years.

22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits, the old store; until the ninth year, until its fruits come in, ye shall eat the old store.

23 And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is mine: for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

25 If thy brother be waxed poor, and sell some of his possession, then shall his kinsman that is next unto him come, and shall redeem that which his brother hath sold.

26 And if a man have no one to redeem it, and he be waxed rich and find sufficient to redeem it;

27 then let him reckon the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return unto his possession.

28 But if he be not able to get it back for himself, then that which he hath sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

29 And if a man sell a dwelling-house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.

30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him that bought it, throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.

31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be reckoned with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

32 Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.

33 And if one of the Levites redeem, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

35 And if thy brother be waxed poor, and his hand fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: `as' a stranger and a sojourner shall he live with thee.

36 Take thou no interest of him or increase, but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase.

38 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, `and' to be your God.

39 And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee; thou shalt not make him to serve as a bond-servant.

40 As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee; he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee:

41 then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

42 For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

44 And as for thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have; of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land: and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them shall ye take your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule, one over another, with rigor.

47 And if a stranger or sojourner with thee be waxed rich, and thy brother be waxed poor beside him, and sell himself unto the stranger `or' sojourner with thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family;

48 after that he is sold he may be redeemed: one of his brethren may redeem him;

49 or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be waxed rich, he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he sold himself to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.

51 If there be yet many years, according unto them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.

53 As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight.

54 And if he be not redeemed by these `means', then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he, and his children with him.

55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.


Leviticus 25:1-55 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in mount Sinai, saying,

2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, When ye come in unto the land which I am giving to you, then hath the land kept a sabbath to Jehovah.

3 `Six years thou dost sow thy field, and six years thou dost prune thy vineyard, and hast gathered its increase,

4 and in the seventh year a sabbath of rest is to the land, a sabbath to Jehovah; thy field thou dost not sow, and thy vineyard thou dost not prune;

5 the spontaneous growth of thy harvest thou dost not reap, and the grapes of thy separated thing thou dost not gather, a year of rest it is to the land.

6 `And the sabbath of the land hath been to you for food, to thee, and to thy man-servant, and to thy handmaid, and to thy hireling, and to thy settler, who are sojourning with thee;

7 and to thy cattle, and to the beast which `is' in thy land, is all thine increase for food.

8 `And thou hast numbered to thee seven sabbaths of years, seven years seven times, and the days of the seven sabbaths of years have been to thee nine and forty years,

9 and thou hast caused a trumpet of shouting to pass over in the seventh month, in the tenth of the month; in the day of the atonements ye do cause a trumpet to pass over through all your land;

10 and ye have hallowed the year, the fiftieth year; and ye have proclaimed liberty in the land to all its inhabitants; a jubilee it is to you; and ye have turned back each unto his possession; yea, each unto his family ye do turn back.

11 `A jubilee it `is', the fiftieth year, a year it is to you; ye sow not, nor reap its spontaneous growth, nor gather its separated things;

12 for a jubilee it `is', holy it is to you; out of the field ye eat its increase;

13 in the year of this jubilee ye turn back each unto his possession.

14 `And when thou sellest anything to thy fellow, or buyest from the hand of thy fellow, ye do not oppress one another;

15 by the number of years after the jubilee thou dost buy from thy fellow; by the number of the years of increase he doth sell to thee;

16 according to the multitude of the years thou dost multiply its price, and according to the fewness of the years thou dost diminish its price; for a number of increases he is selling to thee;

17 and ye do not oppress one another, and thou hast been afraid of thy God; for I `am' Jehovah your God.

18 `And ye have done My statutes, and My judgments ye keep, and have done them, and ye have dwelt on the land confidently,

19 and the land hath given its fruit, and ye have eaten to satiety, and have dwelt confidently on it.

20 `And when ye say, What do we eat in the seventh year, lo, we do not sow, nor gather our increase?

21 then I have commanded My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it hath made the increase for three years;

22 and ye have sown the eighth year, and have eaten of the old increase; until the ninth year, until the coming in of its increase, ye do eat the old.

23 `And the land is not sold -- to extinction, for the land `is' Mine, for sojourners and settlers `are' ye with Me;

24 and in all the land of your possession a redemption ye do give to the land.

25 `When thy brother becometh poor, and hath sold his possession, then hath his redeemer who is near unto him come, and he hath redeemed the sold thing of his brother;

26 and when a man hath no redeemer, and his own hand hath attained, and he hath found as sufficient `for' its redemption,

27 then he hath reckoned the years of its sale, and hath given back that which is over to the man to whom he sold `it', and he hath returned to his possession.

28 `And if his hand hath not found sufficiency to give back to him, then hath his sold thing been in the hand of him who buyeth it till the year of jubilee; and it hath gone out in the jubilee, and he hath returned to his possession.

29 `And when a man selleth a dwelling-house `in' a walled city, then hath his right of redemption been until the completion of a year from its selling; days -- is his right of redemption;

30 and if it is not redeemed until the fulness to him of a perfect year, then hath the house which `is' in a walled city been established to extinction to the buyer of it, to his generations; it goeth not out in the jubilee;

31 and a house of the villages which have no wall round about, on the field of the country is reckoned; redemption is to it, and in the jubilee it goeth out.

32 `As to cities of the Levites -- houses of the cities of their possession -- redemption age-during is to the Levites;

33 as to him who redeemeth from the Levites, both the sale of a house and the city of his possession have gone out in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession in the midst of the sons of Israel.

34 And a field, a suburb of their cities, is not sold; for a possession age-during it `is' to them.

35 `And when thy brother is become poor, and his hand hath failed with thee, then thou hast kept hold on him, sojourner and settler, and he hath lived with thee;

36 thou takest no usury from him, or increase; and thou hast been afraid of thy God; and thy brother hath lived with thee;

37 thy money thou givest not to him in usury, and for increase thou givest not thy food;

38 I `am' Jehovah your God, who hath brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give to you the land of Canaan, to become your God.

39 `And when thy brother becometh poor with thee, and he hath been sold to thee, thou dost not lay on him servile service;

40 as an hireling, as a settler, he is with thee, till the year of the jubilee he doth serve with thee, --

41 then he hath gone out from thee, he and his sons with him, and hath turned back unto his family; even unto the possession of his fathers he doth turn back.

42 `For they `are' My servants, whom I have brought out from the land of Egypt: they are not sold `with' the sale of a servant;

43 thou rulest not over him with rigour, and thou hast been afraid of thy God.

44 `And thy man-servant and thy handmaid whom thou hast `are' of the nations who `are' round about you; of them ye buy man-servant and handmaid,

45 and also of the sons of the settlers who are sojourning with you, of them ye buy, and of their families who `are' with you, which they have begotten in your land, and they have been to you for a possession;

46 and ye have taken them for inheritance to your sons after you, to occupy `for' a possession; to the age ye lay service upon them, but upon your brethren, the sons of Israel, one with another, thou dost not rule over him with rigour.

47 `And when the hand of a sojourner or settler with thee attaineth `riches', and thy brother with him hath become poor, and he hath been sold to a sojourner, a settler with thee, or to the root of the family of a sojourner,

48 after he hath been sold, there is a right of redemption to him; one of his brethren doth redeem him,

49 or his uncle, or a son of his uncle, doth redeem him, or any of the relations of his flesh, of his family, doth redeem him, or -- his own hand hath attained -- then he hath been redeemed.

50 `And he hath reckoned with his buyer from the year of his being sold to him till the year of jubilee, and the money of his sale hath been by the number of years; as the days of an hireling it is with him.

51 `If yet many years, according to them he giveth back his redemption `money', from the money of his purchase.

52 `And if few are left of the years till the year of jubilee, then he hath reckoned with him, according to his years he doth give back his redemption `money';

53 as an hireling, year by year, he is with him, and he doth not rule him with rigour before thine eyes.

54 `And if he is not redeemed in these `years', then he hath gone out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him.

55 For to Me `are' the sons of Israel servants; My servants they `are', whom I have brought out of the land of Egypt; I, Jehovah, `am' your God.


Leviticus 25:1-55 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When ye come into the land that I will give you, the land shall celebrate a sabbath to Jehovah.

3 Six years shalt thou sow thy field, and six years shalt thou prune thy vineyard, and gather in the produce thereof,

4 but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest for the land, a sabbath to Jehovah. Thy field shalt thou not sow, and thy vineyard shalt thou not prune.

5 That which springeth up from the scattered seed of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, and the grapes of thine undressed vines thou shalt not gather: a year of rest shall it be for the land.

6 And the sabbath of the land shall be for food for you, for thee, and for thy bondman, and for thy handmaid, and for thy hired servant, and for him that dwelleth as a sojourner with thee, and for thy cattle,

7 and for the beasts that are in thy land: all the produce thereof shall be for food.

8 And thou shalt count seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; so that the days of the seven sabbaths of years be unto thee forty-nine years.

9 Then shalt thou cause the loud sound of the trumpet to go forth in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month; on the day of atonement shall ye cause the trumpet to go forth throughout your land.

10 And ye shall hallow the year of the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty in the land unto all the inhabitants thereof; a [year of] jubilee shall it be unto you, and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family;

11 a year of jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap its aftergrowth, nor gather [the fruit of] its undressed vines.

12 For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you; out of the field shall ye eat its produce.

13 In this year of the jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

14 And if ye sell ought unto your neighbour, or buy of your neighbour's hand, ye shall not overreach one another.

15 According to the number of years since the jubilee, thou shalt buy of thy neighbour; according to the number of years of the produce, he shall sell unto thee.

16 According to the greater number of the years, thou shalt increase the price thereof; and according to the fewness of years, thou shalt diminish the price of it; for it is the number of crops that he selleth unto thee.

17 And ye shall not oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am Jehovah your God.

18 And ye shall do my statutes, and observe mine ordinances and do them: thus shall ye dwell in your land securely.

19 And the land shall yield its fruit, and ye shall eat and be satisfied, and dwell therein securely.

20 And if ye say, What shall we eat in the seventh year? behold, we may not sow, nor gather in our produce;

21 then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, that it may bring forth produce for three years;

22 and ye shall sow in the eighth year, and ye shall eat of the old fruit until the ninth year; until her produce come in, ye shall eat the old.

23 And the land shall not be sold for ever; for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

25 If thy brother grow poor, and sell of his possession, then shall his redeemer, his nearest relation, come and redeem that which his brother sold.

26 And if the man have no one having right of redemption, and his hand have acquired and found what sufficeth for its redemption,

27 then shall he reckon the years since the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; and so return unto his possession.

28 And if his hand have not found what sufficeth for him to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of the purchaser, until the year of jubilee; and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

29 And if any one sell a dwelling-house in a walled city, then he shall have the right of redemption up to the end of the year of the sale thereof; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.

30 But if it be not redeemed until a whole year is complete, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it, throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.

31 But the houses in villages that have no wall round about them shall be reckoned as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

32 But as to the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites shall have a perpetual right of redemption.

33 And if any one redeem from one of the Levites, then the house that was sold, in the city of his possession, shall go out in the jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34 And the field of the suburbs of their cities shall not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

35 And if thy brother grow poor, and he be fallen into decay beside thee, then thou shalt relieve him, [be he] stranger or sojourner, that he may live beside thee.

36 Thou shalt take no usury nor increase of him; and thou shalt fear thy God; that thy brother may live beside thee.

37 Thy money shalt thou not give him upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

38 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.

39 And if thy brother grow poor beside thee, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:

40 as a hired servant, as a sojourner, shall he be with thee; until the year of jubilee shall he serve thee.

41 Then shall he depart from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

42 For they are my bondmen, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as [men] sell bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; and thou shalt fear thy God.

44 And as for thy bondman and thy handmaid whom thou shalt have -- of the nations that are round about you, of them shall ye buy bondmen and handmaids.

45 Moreover of the children of them that dwell as sojourners with you, of them may ye buy, and of their family that is with you, which they beget in your land, and they shall be your possession.

46 And ye shall leave them as an inheritance to your children after you, to inherit them as a possession: these may ye make your bondmen for ever; but as for your brethren, the children of Israel, ye shall not rule over one another with rigour.

47 And if a stranger or sojourner become wealthy beside thee, and thy brother beside him grow poor, and sell himself unto the stranger, who is settled by thee, or to a scion of the stranger's family,

48 after that he is sold there shall be right of redemption for him; one of his brethren may redeem him.

49 Either his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him, or one of his next relations of his family may redeem him; or if his means be sufficient, he may redeem himself.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of the years, according to the days of a hired servant shall he be with him.

51 If there are yet many years, according unto them shall he return his redemption [money] out of the money that he was bought for;

52 and if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his [remaining] years [of service] shall he give him back his redemption [money].

53 As a hired servant shall he be with him year by year; [his master] shall not rule with rigour over him before thine eyes.

54 And if he be not redeemed in this manner, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, he and his children with him.

55 For the children of Israel are servants unto me; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.


Leviticus 25:1-55 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Yahweh said to Moses in Mount Sinai,

2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to Yahweh.

3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruits;

4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Yahweh. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

5 What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and the grapes of your undressed vine you shall not gather. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.

6 The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you.

7 For your cattle also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all the increase of it be for food.

8 "'You shall count off seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and there shall be to you the days of seven Sabbaths of years, even forty-nine years.

9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.

10 You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you; and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you. In it you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself, nor gather from the undressed vines.

12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat of its increase out of the field.

13 "'In this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his property.

14 "'If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another.

15 According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor. According to the number of years of the crops he shall sell to you.

16 According to the length of the years you shall increase the price of it, and according to the shortness of the years you shall diminish the price of it; for he is selling the number of the crops to you.

17 You shall not wrong one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am Yahweh your God.

18 "'Therefore you shall do my statutes, and keep my ordinances and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 The land shall yield its fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

20 If you said, "What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;"

21 then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years.

22 You shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits, the old store; until the ninth year, until its fruits come in, you shall eat the old store.

23 "'The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and live as foreigners with me.

24 In all the land of your possession you shall grant a redemption for the land.

25 "'If your brother becomes poor, and sells some of his possessions, then his kinsman who is next to him shall come, and redeem that which his brother has sold.

26 If a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it;

27 then let him reckon the years since the sale of it, and restore the surplus to the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return to his property.

28 But if he isn't able to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hand of him who has bought it until the Year of Jubilee: and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his propery.

29 "'If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption.

30 If it isn't redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.

31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be reckoned with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

32 "'Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

33 The Levites may redeem the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, and it shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

35 "'If your brother has become poor, and his hand can't support him among you; then you shall uphold him. As a stranger and a sojourner he shall live with you.

36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you.

37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

38 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

39 "'If your brother has grown poor among you, and sells himself to you; you shall not make him to serve as a slave.

40 As a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee:

41 then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and shall return to his own family, and to the possession of his fathers.

42 For they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold as slaves.

43 You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.

44 "'As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have; of the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they have conceived in your land; and they will be your property.

46 You may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession; of them may you take your slaves forever: but over your brothers the children of Israel you shall not rule, one over another, with harshness.

47 "'If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member of the stranger's family;

48 after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him;

49 or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any who is a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself.

50 He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; according to the time of a hired servant shall he be with him.

51 If there are yet many years, according to them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

52 If there remain but a few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according to his years of service he shall give back the price of his redemption.

53 As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him: he shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight.

54 "'If he isn't redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee, he, and his children with him.

55 For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.


Leviticus 25:1-55 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 And the Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai,

2 Say to the children of Israel, When you come into the land which I will give you, let the land keep a Sabbath to the Lord.

3 For six years put seed into your land, and for six years give care to your vines and get in the produce of them;

4 But let the seventh year be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord; do not put seed into your land or have your vines cut.

5 That which comes to growth of itself may not be cut, and the grapes of your uncared-for vines may not be taken off; let it be a year of rest for the land.

6 And the Sabbath of the land will give food for you and your man-servant and your woman-servant and those working for payment, and for those of another country who are living among you;

7 And for your cattle and the beasts on the land; all the natural increase of the land will be for food.

8 And let seven Sabbaths of years be numbered to you, seven times seven years; even the days of seven Sabbaths of years, that is forty-nine years;

9 Then let the loud horn be sounded far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of taking away sin let the horn be sounded through all your land.

10 And let this fiftieth year be kept holy, and say publicly that everyone in the land is free from debt: it is the Jubilee, and every man may go back to his heritage and to his family.

11 Let this fiftieth year be the Jubilee: no seed may be planted, and that which comes to growth of itself may not be cut, and the grapes may not be taken from the uncared-for vines.

12 For it is the Jubilee, and it is holy to you; your food will be the natural increase of the field.

13 In this year of Jubilee, let every man go back to his heritage.

14 And in the business of trading goods for money, do no wrong to one another.

15 Let your exchange of goods with your neighbours have relation to the number of years after the year of Jubilee, and the number of times the earth has given her produce.

16 If the number of years is great, the price will be increased, and if the number of years is small, the price will be less, for it is the produce of a certain number of years which the man is giving you.

17 And do no wrong, one to another, but let the fear of your God be before you; for I am the Lord your God.

18 So keep my rules and my decisions and do them, and you will be safe in your land.

19 And the land will give her fruit, and you will have food in full measure and be safe in the land.

20 And if you say, Where will our food come from in the seventh year, when we may not put in seed, or get in the increase

21 Then I will send my blessing on you in the sixth year, and the land will give fruit enough for three years.

22 And in the eighth year you will put in your seed, and get your food from the old stores, till the fruit of the ninth year is ready.

23 No exchange of land may be for ever, for the land is mine, and you are as my guests, living with me for a time.

24 Wherever there is property in land, the owner is to have the right of getting it back.

25 If your brother becomes poor, and has to give up some of his land for money, his nearest relation may come and get back that which his brother has given up.

26 And if he has no one to get it back for him, and later he himself gets wealth and has enough money to get it back;

27 Then let him take into account the years from the time when he gave it up, and make up the loss for the rest of the years to him who took it, and so get back his property.

28 But if he is not able to get it back for himself, then it will be kept by him who gave a price for it, till the year of Jubilee; and in that year it will go back to its first owner and he will have his property again.

29 And if a man gives his house in a walled town for money, he has the right to get it back for the space of a full year after he has given it up.

30 And if he does not get it back by the end of the year, then the house in the town will become the property of him who gave the money for it, and of his children for ever; it will not go from him in the year of Jubilee.

31 But houses in small unwalled towns will be the same as property in the country; they may be got back, and they will go back to their owners in the year of Jubilee.

32 But the houses in the towns of the Levites may be got back by the Levites at any time.

33 And if a Levite does not give money to get back his property, his house in the town which was exchanged for money will come back to him in the year of Jubilee. For the houses of the towns of the Levites are their property among the children of Israel.

34 But the land on the outskirts of their towns may not be exchanged for money, for it is their property for ever.

35 And if your brother becomes poor and is not able to make a living, then you are to keep him with you, helping him as you would a man from another country who is living among you.

36 Take no interest from him, in money or in goods, but have the fear of your God before you, and let your brother make a living among you.

37 Do not take interest on the money which you let him have or on the food which you give him.

38 I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, that I might be your God.

39 And if your brother becomes poor and gives himself to you for money, do not make use of him like a servant who is your property;

40 But let him be with you as a servant working for payment, till the year of Jubilee;

41 Then he will go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his family and to the property of his fathers.

42 For they are my servants whom I took out from the land of Egypt; they may not become the property of another.

43 Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

44 But you may get servants as property from among the nations round about; from them you may take men-servants and women-servants.

45 And in addition, you may get, for money, servants from among the children of other nations who are living with you, and from their families which have come to birth in your land; and these will be your property.

46 And they will be your children's heritage after you, to keep as their property; they will be your servants for ever; but you may not be hard masters to your countrymen, the children of Israel.

47 And if one from another nation living among you gets wealth, and your countryman, at his side, becomes poor and gives himself for money to the man from another nation or to one of his family;

48 After he has given himself he has the right to be made free, for a price, by one of his brothers,

49 Or his father's brother, or the son of his father's brother, or any near relation; or if he gets money, he may make himself free.

50 And let the years be numbered from the time when he gave himself to his owner till the year of Jubilee, and the price given for him will be in relation to the number of years, on the scale of the payment of a servant.

51 If there is still a long time, he will give back, on account of it, a part of the price which was given for him.

52 And if there is only a short time, he will take account of it with his master, and in relation to the number of years he will give back the price of making him free.

53 And he will be with him as a servant working for payment year by year; his master is not to be cruel to him before your eyes.

54 And if he is not made free in this way, he will go out in the year of Jubilee, he and his children with him.

55 For the children of Israel are servants to me; they are my servants whom I took out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Commentary on Leviticus 25 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 25

Le 25:1-7. Sabbath of the Seventh Year.

2-4. When ye come into the land which I give you—It has been questioned on what year, after the occupation of Canaan, the sabbatic year began to be observed. Some think it was the seventh year after their entrance. But others, considering that as the first six years were spent in the conquest and division of the land (Jos 5:12), and that the sabbatical year was to be observed after six years of agriculture, maintain that the observance did not commence till the fourteenth year.

the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord—This was a very peculiar arrangement. Not only all agricultural processes were to be intermitted every seventh year, but the cultivators had no right to the soil. It lay entirely fallow, and its spontaneous produce was the common property of the poor and the stranger, the cattle and game. This year of rest was to invigorate the productive powers of the land, as the weekly Sabbath was a refreshment to men and cattle. It commenced immediately after the feast of ingathering, and it was calculated to teach the people, in a remarkable manner, the reality of the presence and providential power of God.

Le 25:8-23. The Jubilee.

8-11. thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years—This most extraordinary of all civil institutions, which received the name of "Jubilee" from a Hebrew word signifying a musical instrument, a horn or trumpet, began on the tenth day of the seventh month, or the great day of atonement, when, by order of the public authorities, the sound of trumpets proclaimed the beginning of the universal redemption. All prisoners and captives obtained their liberties, slaves were declared free, and debtors were absolved. The land, as on the sabbatic year, was neither sowed nor reaped, but allowed to enjoy with its inhabitants a sabbath of repose; and its natural produce was the common property of all. Moreover, every inheritance throughout the land of Judea was restored to its original owner.

10. ye shall hallow the fiftieth year—Much difference of opinion exists as to whether the jubilee was observed on the forty-ninth, or, in round numbers, it is called the fiftieth. The prevailing opinion, both in ancient and modern times, has been in favor of the latter.

12. ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field, &c.—All that the ground yielded spontaneously during that period might be eaten for their necessary subsistence, but no persons were at liberty to hoard or form a private stock in reserve.

13. ye shall return every man unto his possession, &c.—Inheritances, from whatever cause, and how frequently soever they had been alienated, came back into the hands of the original proprietors. This law of entail, by which the right heir could never be excluded, was a provision of great wisdom for preserving families and tribes perfectly distinct, and their genealogies faithfully recorded, in order that all might have evidence to establish their right to the ancestral property. Hence the tribe and family of Christ were readily discovered at his birth.

17. Ye shall not oppress one another, but thou shalt fear thy God—This, which is the same as Le 25:14, related to the sale or purchase of possessions and the duty of paying an honest and equitable regard, on both sides, to the limited period during which the bargain could stand. The object of the legislator was, as far as possible, to maintain the original order of families, and an equality of condition among the people.

21, 22. I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years, &c.—A provision was made, by the special interposition of God, to supply the deficiency of food which would otherwise have resulted from the suspension of all labor during the sabbatic year. The sixth year was to yield a miraculous supply for three continuous years. And the remark is applicable to the year of Jubilee as well as the sabbatic year. (See allusions to this extraordinary provision in 2Ki 19:29; Isa 37:30). None but a legislator who was conscious of acting under divine authority would have staked his character on so singular an enactment as that of the sabbatic year; and none but a people who had witnessed the fulfilment of the divine promise would have been induced to suspend their agricultural preparations on a recurrence of a periodical Jubilee.

23-28. The land shall not be sold for ever—or, "be quite cut off," as the Margin better renders it. The land was God's, and, in prosecution of an important design, He gave it to the people of His choice, dividing it among their tribes and families—who, however, held it of Him merely as tenants-at-will and had no right or power of disposing of it to strangers. In necessitous circumstances, individuals might effect a temporary sale. But they possessed the right of redeeming it, at any time, on payment of an adequate compensation to the present holder; and by the enactments of the Jubilee they recovered it free—so that the land was rendered inalienable. (See an exception to this law, Le 27:20).

29-31. if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold—All sales of houses were subject to the same condition. But there was a difference between the houses of villages (which, being connected with agriculture, were treated as parts of the land) and houses possessed by trading people or foreigners in walled towns, which could only be redeemed within the year after the sale; if not then redeemed, these did not revert to the former owner at the Jubilee.

32-34. Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, &c.—The Levites, having no possessions but their towns and their houses, the law conferred on them the same privileges that were granted to the lands of the other Israelites. A certain portion of the lands surrounding the Levitical cities was appropriated to them for the pasturage of their cattle and flocks (Nu 35:4, 5). This was a permanent endowment for the support of the ministry and could not be alienated for any time. The Levites, however, were at liberty to make exchanges among themselves; and a priest might sell his house, garden, and right of pasture to another priest, but not to an Israelite of another tribe (Jer 41:7-9).

35-38. if thy brother be waxen poor, … relieve him—This was a most benevolent provision for the poor and unfortunate, designed to aid them or alleviate the evils of their condition. Whether a native Israelite or a mere sojourner, his richer neighbor was required to give him food, lodging, and a supply of money without usury. Usury was severely condemned (Ps 15:5; Eze 18:8, 17), but the prohibition cannot be considered as applicable to the modern practice of men in business, borrowing and lending at legal rates of interest.

39-46. if thy brother … be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant—An Israelite might be compelled, through misfortune, not only to mortgage his inheritance, but himself. In the event of his being reduced to this distress, he was to be treated not as a slave, but a hired servant whose engagement was temporary, and who might, through the friendly aid of a relative, be redeemed at any time before the Jubilee. The ransom money was determined on a most equitable principle. Taking account of the number of years from the proposal to redeem and the Jubilee, of the current wages of labor for that time, and multiplying the remaining years by that sum, the amount was to be paid to the master for his redemption. But if no such friendly interposition was made for a Hebrew slave, he continued in servitude till the year of Jubilee, when, as a matter of course, he regained his liberty, as well as his inheritance. Viewed in the various aspects in which it is presented in this chapter, the Jubilee was an admirable institution, and subservient in an eminent degree to uphold the interests of religion, social order, and freedom among the Israelites.