Leviticus 25:39–55 — Treatment of slaves

The OET Readers’ Version is designed to be read alongside the Literal Version. Expand the matching Literal Version beneath each passage. This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Lev 25:39–55

25:39 Treatment of slaves

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 Mitsrayim (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 Mitsrayim (Egypt). I am your god Yahweh.

Show matching OET Literal Version passage

Read the Literal Version in context

39 And_because/when your(ms)_brother/kindred he _will _become _impoverished with_you and_he _will _sell _himself to/for_you(fs) not you _will _labour in/on/over_him/it the_labour _of a _slave.

40 Like_a _hired _labourer like_a _resident _alien he _will _be with_you until the _year _of the _jubilee he _will _serve with_you.

41 And_he _will _go _out from_with_you he and_sons _of_his with_him/it and_he _will _return to clan _of_his and_near/to the _possession _of his _ancestors _of_his he _will _return.

42 If/because servants _of_are_my they whom I _brought _out DOM_them from_the _land _of Miʦrayim not they _will _be _sold a _sale _of a _slave.

43 Not you _will _rule in_him/it with_harshness and_you _will _fear from_god _of_your.

44 And_your_male_of_slave and_your _female _of_slave who they _will _belong to/for_you(fs) from_with the_nations which are_around _of_you(pl) from_them you(pl)_will _buy a_male_slave and_a _female _slave.

45 And_also from_(the)_sons of_the _resident _aliens who_sojourn with_you(pl) from_them you(pl)_will _buy and_from_clan _of_their which is_with_you(pl) which they _have _fathered in_land _of_your(pl) and_they _will _be to/for_you(pl) to_a _possession.

46 And_you(pl)_will _give _as _an _inheritance[fn] DOM_them to_sons _of_your(pl) after_you(pl) to_inherit a _possession to_vanishing _point (is)_in_them you(pl)_will _labour and_over_brothers _of_your(pl) the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) each over_brother _of_his not you _will _rule in_him/it with_harshness.

47 And_because/when the_hand _of a _sojourner and_a _resident _alien with_you it _will _reach and_ your(ms)_brother/kindred with_him/it _he _will _become _impoverished and_he _will _sell _himself to_a _sojourner a _resident _alien with_you or to_a _member _of the_clan _of a _sojourner.

48 After he _has _sold _himself a _right _of _redemption it _will _belong for_him/it one of_brothers _of_his he_will _redeem _him.

49 Or uncle _of_his or the _son _of his _uncle _of_his he_will _redeem _him or any_of _the _relative[s]_of his _flesh _of_his from_clan _of_his he_will _redeem _him or his/its_hand it _has _reached and_he _will _redeem _himself.

50 And_he _will _calculate with the_one _of_who_bought _him from_the _year _of he_sold _himself to_him/it until the _year _of the _jubilee and_it _was the _silver _of his _sale _of_his by_the_number _of years according_to_the_days _of a _hired _labourer he _will _be with_him/it.

51 If still many in_years to_mouth _of_their he _will _repay redemption _of_his some_of _the _silver _of his _purchase _of_his.

52 And_if few it _remains in_years until the _year _of the _jubilee and_he _will _calculate to_him/it according_to _the _mouth _of his _years _of_his he _will _repay DOM redemption _of_his.

53 Like_a _hired _labourer _of a _year in_a _year he _will _be with_him/it not he_will _rule _over _him with_harshness to_eyes _of_your.

54 And_if not he _will _be _redeemed in_these_ways and_he _will _go _out in_year of_the _jubilee he and_sons _of_his with_him/it.

55 If/because to_me the _people _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) are_servants servants _of_are_my they whom I _brought _out them from_the _land _of Miʦrayim/(Egypt) I am_YHWH god _of_your(pl).

25:46 OSHB note: BHS has been faithful to the Leningrad Codex where there might be a question of the validity of the form and we keep the same form as BHS.

25:39-46: Exo 21:2-6; Deu 15:12-18.

OET-RV by cross-referenced section LEV 25:39

Treatment of slaves

Lev 25:39–55

Collected OET-RV cross-references