Daily Bread

³⁵ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor^(A) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them^(B) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. ³⁶ Do not take interest^(C) or any profit from them, but fear your God,^(D) so that they may continue to live among you. ³⁷ You must not lend them money at interest^(E) or sell them food at a profit. ³⁸ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan^(F) and to be your God.^(G)

³⁹ “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.^{(H) 40} They are to be treated as hired workers^(I) 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^(J) of their ancestors.^{(K) 42} Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,^(L) they must not be sold as slaves. ⁴³ Do not rule over them ruthlessly,^(M) but fear your God.^(N)

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^(O) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, ⁴⁸ they retain the right of redemption^(P) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives^(Q) may redeem them: ⁴⁹ An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,^(R) 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.^(S) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker^(T) 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.^{(U) 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.^(V)

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.^(W) I am the Lord your God.^(X)