23 The land can not be irrevocably sold, because it belongs to me and you all are foreigners and temporary residents on my land. 24 so for all the land that you take possession of, there must be a way to get back the family land. 25 For example, if an Israeli man becomes poor and sells off some of his inherited land, then a close relative must have the right to go and buy back that land. 26 Even if he didn’t have a relative who could do that, and he prospers again in the future and is able to raise enough money, 27 then he can calculate the value of the years until the restoration celebration, and then for that amount he must be allowed to buy the land back from the person he’d sold it to. 28 However, if the original owner wasn’t able to raise enough money, then that piece of land that was sold will remain under the control of the buyer until the restoration celebration year when it must be returned anyway.

29 If a house inside a walled city is sold, then the right to buy it back will last until one full year after the sale. 30 If it’s not bought back by the original family within that year, then that house in the walled city will then belong permanently to the buyer—it won’t be returned in the restoration celebration year. 31 On the contrary, village houses will be considered as part of the family land, so they’ll be able to be bought back by the family, otherwise they’ll be returned in the restoration celebration year.

32 The Levites’ cities and houses will belong to them permanently—the Levites must always be able to buy them back, 33 but even if they don’t buy them back, they must be returned in the restoration celebration year because the Levites’ houses are their only possession among the Israelis. 34 In addition, they may not sell the pastureland around their cities because that’s their permanent possession.