Sinai & The Law

"'If someone sells a dwelling in a walled city, he has one year after the date of sale in which to redeem it. For a full year he will have the right of redemption;

but if he has not redeemed the dwelling in the walled city within the year, then title in perpetuity passes to the buyer through all his generations; it will not revert in the yovel.

However, houses in villages not surrounded by walls are to be dealt with like the fields in the countryside - they may be redeemed [before the yovel], and they revert in the yovel.

"'Concerning the cities of the L'vi'im and the houses in the cities they possess, the L'vi'im are to have a permanent right of redemption.

If someone purchases a house from one of the L'vi'im, then the house he sold in the city where he owns property will still revert to him in the yovel; because the houses in the cities of the L'vi'im are their tribe's possession among the people of Isra'el.

The fields in the open land around their cities may not be sold, because that is their permanent possession.

"'If a member of your people has become poor, so that he can't support himself among you, you are to assist him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident, so that he can continue living with you.

Do not charge him interest or otherwise profit from him, but fear your God, so that your brother can continue living with you.

Do not take interest when you loan him money or take a profit when you sell him food.

I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to give you the land of Kena'an and be your God.

"'If a member of your people has become poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him do the work of a slave.

Rather, you are to treat him like an employee or a tenant; he will work for you until the year of yovel.

Then he will leave you, he and his children with him, and return to his own family and regain possession of his ancestral land.

For they are my slaves, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; therefore they are not to be sold as slaves.

Do not treat him harshly, but fear your God.

"'Concerning the men and women you may have as slaves: you are to buy men- and women-slaves from the nations surrounding you.

You may also buy the children of foreigners living with you and members of their families born in your land; you may own these.

You may also bequeath them to your children to own; from these groups you may take your slaves forever. But as far as your brothers the people of Isra'el are concerned, you are not to treat each other harshly.

"'If a foreigner living with you has grown rich, and a member of your people has become poor and sells himself to this foreigner living with you or to a member of the foreigner's family,

he may be redeemed after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him;

or his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him; or any near relative of his may redeem him; or, if he becomes rich, he may redeem himself.

He will calculate with the person who bought him the time from the year he sold himself to him to the year of yovel; and the amount to be paid will be according to the number of years and his time at an employee's wage.

If many years remain, according to them will he refund the amount for his redemption from the amount he was bought for.

If there remain only a few years until the year of yovel, then he will calculate with him; according to his years will he refund the amount for his redemption.

He will be like a worker hired year by year. You will see to it that he is not treated harshly.