Passage

Leviticus 25.23-55

Book: Leviticus · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"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 25:21-55, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"21. then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bear 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 its sale, 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 property. 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 around them shall be accounted for 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 himself among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident. 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 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 temporary resident, 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 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 aliens who live 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 an alien or temporary resident 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. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant. 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 out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God." (Leviticus 25:21-55, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"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. ^{for ever: or, to be quite cut off: Heb. for cutting off} 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; ^{himself: Heb. his hand hath attained and found sufficiency} 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 jubile: and in the jubile 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 jubile. 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 jubile. ^{they may: Heb. redemption belongeth unto it} 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 jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. ^{a man: or, one of the Levites redeem them} 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. ^{fallen: Heb. his hand faileth} ^{relieve: Heb. strengthen} 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: ^{compel: Heb. serve thyself with him with the service, etc} 40. But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: 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. ^{as: Heb. with the sale of a bondman} 43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; 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 rigour. ^{they: Heb. ye shall serve yourselves with them} 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: ^{wax rich: Heb. his hand obtain, etc} 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 jubile: 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 jubile, 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 rigour over him in thy sight. 54. And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. ^{in these: or, by these means} 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 25:21-55, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"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 25:21-55, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

G3083 - lytron

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.