Leviticus 25

The Time of Rest for the Land

1 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,2 “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘When you enter the land I will give you, let it have a special time of rest, to honor the Lord.3 You may plant seed in your field for six years, and you may trim your vineyards for six years and bring in their fruits.4 But during the seventh year, you must let the land rest. This will be a special time to honor the Lord. You must not plant seed in your field or trim your vineyards.5 You must not cut the crops that grow by themselves after harvest, or gather the grapes from your vines that are not trimmed. The land will have a year of rest.

6 
“ ‘You may eat whatever the land produces during that year of rest. It will be food for your men and women servants, for your hired workers, and for the foreigners living in your country.7 It will also be food for your cattle and the wild animals of your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee

8 

“ ‘Count off seven groups of seven years, or forty-nine years. During that time there will be seven years of rest for the land.9 On the Day of Cleansing, you must blow the horn of a male sheep; this will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. You must blow the horn through the whole country.10 Make the fiftieth year a special year, and announce freedom for all the people living in your country. This time will be called Jubilee. You will each go back to your own property, each to your own family and family group.11 The fiftieth year will be a special time for you to celebrate. Don’t plant seeds, or harvest the crops that grow by themselves, or gather grapes from the vines that are not trimmed.12 That year is Jubilee; it will be a holy time for you. You may eat only the crops that come from the field.13 In the year of Jubilee you each must go back to your own property.14 “ ‘If you sell your land to your neighbor, or if you buy land from your neighbor, don’t cheat each other.15 If you want to buy your neighbor’s land, count the number of years since the last Jubilee, and use that number to decide the right price. If your neighbor sells the land to you, count the number of years left for harvesting crops, and use that number to decide the right price.16 If there are many years, the price will be high. But if there are only a few years, lower the price, because your neighbor is really selling only a few crops to you.17 You must not cheat each other, but you must respect your God. I am the Lord your God.18 “ ‘Remember my laws and rules, and obey them so that you will live safely in the land.19 The land will give good crops to you, and you will eat as much as you want and live safely in the land.

20 
“ ‘But you might ask, “If we don’t plant seeds or gather crops, what will we eat the seventh year?”21 I will send you such a great blessing during the sixth year that the land will produce enough crops for three years.22 When you plant in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the old crop; you will eat the old crop until the harvest of the ninth year.

Property Laws

23 

“ ‘The land really belongs to me, so you can’t sell it for all time. You are only foreigners and travelers living for a while on my land.24 People might sell their land, but it must always be possible for the family to get its land back.25 If a person in your country becomes very poor and sells some land, then close relatives must come and buy it back.26 If there is not a close relative to buy the land back, but if the person makes enough money to be able to buy it back,27 the years must be counted since the land was sold. That number must be used to decide how much the first owner should pay back the one who bought it. Then the land will belong to the first owner again.28 But if there is not enough money to buy it back, the one who bought it will keep it until the year of Jubilee. During that celebration, the land will go back to the first owner’s family.

29 
“ ‘If someone sells a home in a walled city, for a full year after it is sold, the person has the right to buy it back.30 But if the owner does not buy back the house before a full year is over, it will belong to the one who bought it and to his future sons. The house will not go back to the first owner at Jubilee.31 But houses in small towns without walls are like open country; they can be bought back, and they must be returned to their first owner at Jubilee.

32 
“ ‘The Levites may always buy back their houses in the cities that belong to them.33 If someone buys a house from a Levite, that house in the Levites’ city will again belong to the Levites in the Jubilee. This is because houses in Levite cities belong to the people of Levi; the Israelites gave these cities to them.34 Also the fields and pastures around the Levites’ cities cannot be sold, because those fields belong to the Levites forever.

Rules for Slave Owners

35 

“ ‘If anyone from your country becomes too poor to support himself, help him to live among you as you would a stranger or foreigner.36 Do not charge him any interest on money you loan to him, but respect your God; let the poor live among you.37 Don’t lend him money for interest, and don’t try to make a profit from the food he buys.38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give the land of Canaan to you and to become your God.

39 
“ ‘If anyone from your country becomes very poor and sells himself as a slave to you, you must not make him work like a slave.40 He will be like a hired worker and a visitor with you until the year of Jubilee.41 Then he may leave you, take his children, and go back to his family and the land of his ancestors.42 This is because the Israelites are my servants, and I brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They must not become slaves again.43 You must not rule this person cruelly, but you must respect your God.

44 
“ ‘Your men and women slaves must come from other nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.45 Also you may buy as slaves children from the families of foreigners living in your land. These child slaves will belong to you,46 and you may even pass them on to your children after you die; you can make them slaves forever. But you must not rule cruelly over your own people, the Israelites.

47 
“ ‘Suppose a foreigner or visitor among you becomes rich. If someone in your country becomes so poor that he has to sell himself as a slave to the foreigner living among you or to a member of the foreigner’s family,48 the poor person has the right to be bought back and become free. One of his relatives may buy him back:49 His uncle, his uncle’s son, or any one of his close relatives may buy him back. Or, if he gets enough money, he may pay the money to free himself.

50 
“ ‘He and the one who bought him must count the time from when he sold himself up to the next year of Jubilee. Use that number to decide the price, because the person really only hired himself out for a certain number of years.51 If there are still many years before the year of Jubilee, the person must pay back a large part of the price.52 If there are only a few years left until Jubilee, the person must pay a small part of the first price.53 But he will live like a hired person with the foreigner every year; don’t let the foreigner rule cruelly over him.

54 
“ ‘Even if no one buys him back, at the year of Jubilee, he and his children will become free.55 This is because the people of Israel are servants to me. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 26

Rewards for Obeying God

1 “ ‘Don’t make idols for yourselves or set up statues or memorials. Don’t put stone statues in your land to bow down to, because I am the Lord your God.

2 
“ ‘Remember my Sabbaths, and respect my Holy Place. I am the Lord.

3 
“ ‘If you remember my laws and commands and obey them,4 I will give you rains at the right season; the land will produce crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.5 Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will continue until it is time to plant. Then you will have plenty to eat and live safely in your land.6 I will give peace to your country; you will lie down in peace, and no one will make you afraid. I will keep harmful animals out of your country, and armies will not pass through it.

7 
“ ‘You will chase your enemies and defeat them, killing them with your sword.8 Five of you will chase a hundred men; a hundred of you will chase ten thousand men. You will defeat your enemies and kill them with your sword.

9 
“ ‘Then I will show kindness to you and let you have many children; I will keep my agreement with you.10 You will have enough crops to last for more than a year. When you harvest the new crops, you will have to throw out the old ones to make room for them.11 Also I will place my Holy Tent among you, and I will not turn away from you.12 I will walk with you and be your God, and you will be my people.13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. I broke the heavy weights that were on your shoulders and let you walk proudly again.

Punishment for Not Obeying God

14 “ ‘But if you do not obey me and keep all my commands,15 and if you turn away from my rules and hate my laws, refusing to obey all my commands, you have broken our agreement.16 As a result, I will do this to you: I will cause terrible things to happen to you. I will cause you to have disease and fever that will destroy your eyes and slowly kill you. You will not have success when you plant your seed, and your enemy will eat your crops.17 I will be against you, and your enemies will defeat you. These people who hate you will rule over you, and you will run away even when no one is chasing you.18 “ ‘If after all this you still do not obey me, I will punish you seven times more for your sins.19 I will break your great pride, and I will make the sky like iron and the earth like bronze.20 You will work hard, but it will not help. Your land will not grow any crops, and your trees will not give their fruit.

21 
“ ‘If you still turn against me and refuse to obey me, I will beat you seven times harder. The more you sin, the more you will be punished.22 I will send wild animals to attack you, and they will take your children away from you and destroy your cattle. They will make you so few in number the roads will be empty.

23 
“ ‘If you don’t learn your lesson after all these things, and if you still turn against me,24 I will also turn against you. I will punish you seven more times for your sins.25 You broke my agreement, and I will punish you. I will bring armies against you, and if you go into your cities for safety, I will cause diseases to spread among you so that your enemy will defeat you.26 There will be very little bread to eat; ten women will be able to cook all your bread in one oven. They will measure each piece of bread, and you will eat, but you will still be hungry.

27 
“ ‘If you still refuse to listen to me and still turn against me,28 I will show my great anger; I will punish you seven more times for your sins.29 You will eat the bodies of your sons and daughters.30 I will destroy your places where gods are worshiped and cut down your incense altars. I will pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols. I will hate you.31 I will destroy your cities and make your holy places empty, and I will not smell the pleasing smell of your offerings.32 I will make the land empty so that your enemies who come to live in it will be shocked at it.33 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will pull out my sword and destroy you. Your land will become empty, your cities a waste.34 When you are taken to your enemy’s country, your land will finally get its rest. It will enjoy its time of rest all the time it lies empty.35 During the time the land is empty, it will have the rest you should have given it while you lived in it.

36 
“ ‘Those of you who are left alive will lose their courage in the land of their enemies. They will be frightened by the sound of a leaf being blown by the wind. They will run as if someone were chasing them with a sword, and they will fall even when no one is chasing them.37 They will fall over each other, as if someone were chasing them with a sword, even though no one is chasing them. You will not be strong enough to stand up against your enemies.38 You will die among other nations and disappear in your enemies’ countries.39 So those who are left alive will rot away in their enemies’ countries because of their sins. They will also rot away because of their ancestors’ sins.

There Is Always Hope

40 

“ ‘But maybe the people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors; maybe they will admit they turned against me and sinned against me,41 which made me turn against them and send them into the land of their enemies. If these disobedient people are sorry for what they did and accept punishment for their sin,42 I will remember my agreement with Jacob, my agreement with Isaac, and my agreement with Abraham, and I will remember the land.43 The land will be left empty by its people, and it will enjoy its time of rest as it lies bare without them. Then those who are left alive will accept the punishment for their sins. They will learn that they were punished because they hated my laws and refused to obey my rules.44 But even though this is true, I will not turn away from them when they are in the land of their enemies. I will not hate them so much that I completely destroy them and break my agreement with them, because I am the Lord their God.45 For their good I will remember the agreement with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt so I could become their God; the other nations saw these things. I am the Lord.’ ”

46 
These are the laws, rules, and teachings the Lord made between himself and the Israelites through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Leviticus 27

Promises Are Important

1 The Lord said to Moses,2 “Speak to the people of Israel and tell them: ‘If someone makes a special promise to give a person as a servant to the Lord by paying a price that is the same value as that person,3 the price for a man twenty to sixty years old is about one and one-fourth pounds of silver. (You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place.)4 The price for a woman twenty to sixty years old is about twelve ounces of silver.5 The price for a man five to twenty years old is about eight ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.6 The price for a baby boy one month to five years old is about two ounces of silver; for a baby girl the price is about one and one-half ounces of silver.7 The price for a man sixty years old or older is about six ounces of silver; for a woman it is about four ounces of silver.

8 
“ ‘If anyone is too poor to pay the price, bring him to the priest, and the priest will set the price. The priest will decide how much money the person making the vow can afford to pay.

Gifts to the Lord

9 

“ ‘Some animals may be used as sacrifices to the Lord. If someone promises to bring one of these to the Lord, it will become holy.10 That person must not try to put another animal in its place or exchange it, a good animal for a bad one, or a bad animal for a good one. If this happens, both animals will become holy.11 “ ‘Unclean animals cannot be offered as sacrifices to the Lord, and if someone brings one of them to the Lord, that animal must be brought to the priest.12 The priest will decide a price for the animal, according to whether it is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the animal.13 If the person wants to buy back the animal, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price.

Value of a House

14 “ ‘If a person gives a house as holy to the Lord, the priest must decide its value, according to whether the house is good or bad; as the priest decides, that is the price for the house.15 But if the person who gives the house wants to buy it back, an additional one-fifth must be added to the price. Then the house will belong to that person again.

Value of Land

16 “ ‘If a person gives some family property to the Lord, the value of the fields will depend on how much seed is needed to plant them. It will cost about one and one-fourth pounds of silver for each six bushels of barley seed needed.17 If the person gives a field at the year of Jubilee, its value will stay at what the priest has decided.18 But if the person gives the field after the Jubilee, the priest must decide the exact price by counting the number of years to the next year of Jubilee. Then he will subtract that number from its value.19 If the person who gave the field wants to buy it back, one-fifth must be added to that price, and the field will belong to the first owner again.

20 
“ ‘If the person does not buy back the field, or if it is sold to someone else, the first person cannot ever buy it back.21 When the land is released at the year of Jubilee, it will become holy to the Lord, like land specially given to him. It will become the property of the priests.

22 
“ ‘If someone gives to the Lord a field he has bought, which is not a part of his family land,23 the priest must count the years to the next Jubilee. He must decide the price for the land, and the price must be paid on that day. Then that land will be holy to the Lord.24 At the year of Jubilee, the land will go back to its first owner, to the family who sold the land.

25 
“ ‘You must use the measure as set by the Holy Place in paying these prices; it weighs two-fifths of an ounce.

Value of Animals

26 

“ ‘If an animal is the first one born to its parent, it already belongs to the Lord, so people may not give it again. If it is a cow or a sheep, it is the Lord’s.27 If the animal is unclean, the person must buy it back for the price set by the priest, and the person must add one-fifth to that price. If it is not bought back, the priest must sell it for the price he had decided.

28 
“ ‘There is a special kind of gift that people set apart to give to the Lord ; it may be a person, animal, or field from the family property. That gift cannot be bought back or sold. Every special kind of gift is most holy to the Lord.

29 
“ ‘If anyone is given for the purpose of being destroyed, he cannot be bought back; he must be put to death.

30 
“ ‘One-tenth of all crops belongs to the Lord, including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That one-tenth is holy to the Lord.31 If a person wants to get back that tenth, one-fifth must be added to its price.

32 
“ ‘The priest will take every tenth animal from a person’s herd or flock, and it will be holy to the Lord.33 The owner should not pick out the good animals from the bad or exchange one animal for another. If that happens, both animals will become holy; they cannot be bought back.’ ”

34 
These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses at Mount Sinai for the people of Israel.