Leviticus 25:35–55

³⁵Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. ³⁶Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. ³⁷You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. ³⁸I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

³⁹If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. ⁴⁰Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

⁴²Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. ⁴³You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

⁴⁴Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. ⁴⁵You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. ⁴⁶You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.

⁴⁷If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan, ⁴⁸he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: ⁴⁹either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

⁵⁰He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale will be determined by the number of years, based on the daily wages of a hired hand. ⁵¹If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. ⁵²If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years. ⁵³He shall be treated like a man hired from year to year, but a foreign owner must not rule over him harshly in your sight.

⁵⁴Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children shall be released in the Year of Jubilee. ⁵⁵For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’’