²⁵ “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative^(A) is to come and redeem^(B) what they have sold. ²⁶ If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper^(C) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, ²⁷ they are to determine the value for the years^(D) since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.^{(E) 28} But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned^(F) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.^(G)

²⁹ “‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. ³⁰ If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. ³¹ But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.

³² “‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns,^(H) which they possess. ³³ So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. ³⁴ But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.^(I)

² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow^(A) to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value, ³ set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels^[a] of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel^[b];^{(B) 4} for a female, set her value at thirty shekels^[c]; ⁵ for a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels^[d](C) and of a female at ten shekels^[e]; ⁶ for a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels^[f](D) of silver and that of a female at three shekels^[g] of silver; ⁷ for a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels^[h] and of a female at ten shekels. ⁸ If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay^(E) the specified amount, the person being dedicated is to be presented to the priest, who will set the value^(F) according to what the one making the vow can afford.

⁹ “‘If what they vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord,^(G) such an animal given to the Lord becomes holy.^{(H) 10} They must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one;^(I) if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. ¹¹ If what they vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal^(J)—one that is not acceptable as an offering to the Lord—the animal must be presented to the priest, ¹² who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be. ¹³ If the owner wishes to redeem^(K) the animal, a fifth must be added to its value.^(L)

¹⁴ “‘If anyone dedicates their house as something holy to the Lord, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain. ¹⁵ If the one who dedicates their house wishes to redeem it,^(A) they must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become theirs.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone dedicates to the Lord part of their family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it—fifty shekels of silver to a homer^[a] of barley seed. ¹⁷ If they dedicate a field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. ¹⁸ But if they dedicate a field after the Jubilee,^(B) the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain^(C) until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. ¹⁹ If the one who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it,^(D) they must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become theirs. ²⁰ If, however, they do not redeem the field, or if they have sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. ²¹ When the field is released in the Jubilee,^(E) it will become holy,^(F) like a field devoted to the Lord;^(G) it will become priestly property.

²² “‘If anyone dedicates to the Lord a field they have bought, which is not part of their family land, ²³ the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee,^(H) and the owner must pay its value on that day as something holy to the Lord. ²⁴ In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom it was bought,^(I) the one whose land it was. ²⁵ Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel,^(J) twenty gerahs^(K) to the shekel.

²⁶ “‘No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the Lord;^(L) whether an ox^[b] or a sheep, it is the Lord’s. ²⁷ If it is one of the unclean animals,^(M) it may be bought back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If it is not redeemed, it is to be sold at its set value.

²⁸ “‘But nothing that a person owns and devotes^[c](N) to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy^(O) to the Lord.

²⁹ “‘No person devoted to destruction^[d] may be ransomed; they are to be put to death.^(P)

³⁰ “‘A tithe^(Q) of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy^(R) to the Lord. ³¹ Whoever would redeem^(S) any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value^(T) to it. ³² Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod^(U)—will be holy to the Lord. ³³ No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution.^(V) If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.^(W)’”

³ Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.^{(A) 4} I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[a] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,^(B) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,^(C) the^[b] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”^(D)

⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem^(E) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”^(F)

⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption^(G) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal^(H) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions^(I) in Israel.)^(J)

⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.^(K)

⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses^(L) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,^(M) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,^(N) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.^(O) Today you are witnesses!^(P)”