Leviticus 25:25-55

EasyEnglish Bible

²⁵ If a man becomes poor, he can sell some of his land. A person from his family must buy the land back for the man. ²⁶ But the man might not have any family. If he stops being poor, he can buy the land back. ²⁷ He must count how many years until the next Jubilee year. He must pay the right amount of money for the land. Then he can live on the land again. ²⁸ If the man is too poor to buy the land back, it will belong to the other person. It will belong to the other person until the next Jubilee year. He must return it to the poor man in the Jubilee year.

²⁹ A man may sell a house in a city with walls. For one year after he sells it, he can buy it back. ³⁰ If the man does not buy back the house, it will belong to the other person and his sons. It will belong to them for all time. They will not have to return it in the Jubilee year. ³¹ If the house is in a village, a person can buy it back. If he does not buy it back, they will return it to him in the Jubilee year.

³² The Levites (people from the family of Levi) can buy back the houses in their towns. ³³ In the Jubilee year, the Levites must get back the houses that they sold. Their towns belong to the Levites. ³⁴ The Levites must not sell the fields that belong to their towns. God gave to them their towns and cities to live in for all time.

People who have a lot of money must lend it to the poor people

³⁵ An Israelite may become poor. He may not be able to feed his family. You must help him. You would help a visitor or a foreigner in the same way. You must help the man so that he can continue to live among you. ³⁶ The man must not pay back more than you gave to him. You must obey your God. ³⁷ The person who is feeding the man might give money or food to him. He must not ask for more back than he gave. ³⁸ I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. I brought you into this land to be your God.

³⁹ If an Israelite becomes poor, he might sell himself to you. But he must not work for you as a slave. You must pay him to work as your servant. ⁴⁰ He must work for you until the next Jubilee year. ⁴¹ In the Jubilee year, you will make him free. He and his children can go back to his own home and family. ⁴² Israel's people belong to God. I took them out of Egypt. They must not be slaves. ⁴³ You must be kind to all Israelites. Remember to obey your God.

⁴⁴ Israel's people can buy male and female slaves. Those slaves must come from other countries. ⁴⁵ And Israelites can buy people from other countries who live among them. They may have children who were born in your land. You can buy them. They will become slaves. ⁴⁶ You can give the slaves to your children when you die. But you must rule Israel's people in a kind way.

⁴⁷ A person from another country may become rich. Then he might buy an Israelite who became poor. But the poor man can buy himself back at any time. ⁴⁸ A person from the family of the poor man can buy him back. ⁴⁹ A brother or a cousin of the poor man can buy him back. If the poor man becomes rich, he can pay to make himself free. ⁵⁰ The man and the person who bought him must count the time until the Jubilee year. The man must pay the right amount of money to be free. ⁵¹ The Jubilee year may be many years away. If it is, the man must pay a lot of money to be free. ⁵² There may be a few years until the Jubilee year. If there are, he has to pay only a small amount of money to be free. ⁵³ The person who has bought the man must pay him each year. You must cause the rich man to be kind to the man.

⁵⁴ Perhaps nobody will pay any money for the man. But the man who bought him must make him free in the Jubilee year. ⁵⁵ Israel's people belong to me. I brought them out of Egypt. They are my servants. I am the Lord.