Leviticus 25:38-55

New International Version

³⁸ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan^(A) and to be your God.^(B)

³⁹ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.^{(C) 40} They are to be treated as hired workers^(D) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. ⁴¹ Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property^(E) of their ancestors.^{(F) 42} Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,^(G) they must not be sold as slaves. ⁴³ Do not rule over them ruthlessly,^(H) but fear your God.^(I)

⁴⁴ “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. ⁴⁵ You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. ⁴⁶ You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

⁴⁷ “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves^(J) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, ⁴⁸ they retain the right of redemption^(K) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives^(L) may redeem them: ⁴⁹ An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,^(M) they may redeem themselves. ⁵⁰ They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.^(N) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker^(O) for that number of years. ⁵¹ If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. ⁵² If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.^{(P) 53} They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.^(Q)

⁵⁴ “‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, ⁵⁵ for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.^(R) I am the Lord your God.^(S)