Leviticus 25:39-55 ▼

39 If thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poore, and be solde vnto thee, thou shalt not compell hym to serue as a bonde seruaunt:

40 But as an hired seruaunt, and as a soiourner he shalbe with thee, and shall serue thee vnto the yere of Iubilee.

41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with hym, and shall returne vnto his owne kinred agayne, and vnto the possession of his fathers shall he returne.

42 For they are my seruauntes, which I brought out of the lande of Egypt, and shall not therfore be solde as bondmen.

43 Thou shalt not rule ouer hym cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.

44 Thy bondseruaunt and thy bondemayde which thou shalt haue, shalbe of the heathen that are rounde about you: of them shall ye purchase seruauntes and maydes.

45 Moreouer, of the children of ye straungers that are soiourners among you, of them shall ye bye, & of their families that are with you, which they begat in your lande: these shalbe your possession.

46 And ye shall take them as inheritauce for your children after yon, to possesse them for an inheritaunce, they shalbe your bondmen for euer: but ouer your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one ouer another cruelly.

47 If a soiourner or straunger waxe riche by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by hym waxe poore, and sell hym selfe vnto the straunger or soiourner by thee, or to the stocke of the straungers kinne:

48 After that he is solde, he may be redeemed agayne: one of his brethren may redeeme hym:

49 Either his vncle, or his vncles sonne may bye hym out: or any that is nye of kinne vnto hym of his kinred, may redeeme hym: either yf his hande can get so much, he may be bought out.

50 And he shall recken with hym that bought hym, from the yere that he was solde in, vnto the yere of Iubilee: and the price of his beyng, shalbe accordyng vnto the number of yeres, according to the tyme of an hired seruaunt shall he be with hym.

51 If there be yet many yeres behynde, accordyng vnto them let hym geue againe for his deliueraunce, of the money that he was bought for.

52 If there remayne but fewe yeres vnto the yere of Iubilee, let hym count with hym agayne: and accordyng vnto his yeres, geue hym agayne for his redemption.

53 And he shalbe with hym yere by yere as an hired seruaunt: and the other shal not raigne cruelly ouer him in thy sight.

54 If he be not redeemed thus, he shall go out in the yere of Iubilee, both he and his children with hym:

55 For vnto me the children of Israel are seruauntes, they are my seruauntes which I brought out of the lande of Egypt: I am the Lorde your God.