39 If a fellow citizen becomes poor and selling himself to you, don’t force him to work like a slave—[ref] 40 treat him like a hired worker or a temporary resident. He can work with you until the restoration celebration year 41 when he must be released along with his children, and he can return to his family, and to his clan’s land, 42 because they are my slaves that I brought out of Egypt so they mustn’t be sold again as slaves. 43 Don’t rule harshly over them but rather, respect and obey your god. 44 If you want to have male or female slaves, they you can buy them from the surrounding countries, 45 or else from the children or clans of the foreigners who are living among you—you all can own them 46 and then pass them on to your children to own as their inheritance. You all can make them work indefinitely for you, but you mustn’t harshly oppress your fellow Israelis.

47 If a foreigner living among you becomes wealthy, yet your fellow citizen becomes poor and sells himself to that resident foreigner or to a member of their clan, 48 then there’s always the right of redemption even after he’s sold himself, so one of his brothers can buy him back, 49 or his uncle or cousin or another relative from the clan can pay to free him. In fact, he might even be able to buy his own way out. 50 He must work out with his master how many years from when he sold himself, until the restoration celebration year, and figure out the price according to the wages of a hired worker for that many years. 51 If there’s still a lot of years to go, he’d need to repay most of what he sold himself for, 52 but if it’s only a few years to go, the price for his freedom would be proportionally smaller. 53 While he works for the foreign master, he must be treated like an annual hired worker. You others must ensure that he’s not treated harshly. 54 Then even if he’s not bought out, he and his children must be released in the restoration celebration year 55 because the Israelis are my slaves—my slaves because I brought them out of Egypt. I am your god Yahweh.