1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.
6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee.
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
11 A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.
12 For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
13 In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.
14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbor, or buyest ought of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:
15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:
16 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.
18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.
20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
23 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.
24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.
26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;
27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.
28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.
29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.
30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee.
31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.
32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
33 And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.
34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.
35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee.
41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.
43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God.
44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.
47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:
48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:
49 Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.
50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.
51 If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.
52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.
53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight.
54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him.
55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
The book of Leviticus is the third book of the KJV Holy Bible and is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. It is a book that primarily focuses on the laws and regulations given by God to the Israelites through Moses. The book is divided into 27 chapters, each discussing different laws and instructions pertaining to worship, sacrifices, and daily living. Chapter 25 specifically deals with the laws of the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee.
The chapter begins with the commandment to observe a Sabbath year every seventh year. This means that the Israelites were to let their land rest and not plant any crops or harvest any produce for that entire year. This was a test of their faith in God to provide for them and a reminder that the land ultimately belonged to Him. This practice was also meant to promote equality among the people, as during this year, anyone, including slaves, were allowed to gather whatever grew on their own without any distinction between the rich and the poor.
God also promised to provide enough produce during the sixth year to sustain the people until the harvest of the eighth year. This was a test of obedience and trust in God's provision, as the people were not to store up excess produce for that year. They were to rely on God's promise and follow His commandments.
After every seven Sabbath years (49 years), the Israelites were instructed to observe a Year of Jubilee. This was a special year of restoration and redemption. In this year, all debts were to be forgiven, and any property that was sold or lost due to poverty was to be returned to its original owner or their descendants. The purpose of this year was to prevent permanent poverty and ensure that families did not lose their inheritance and land.
The Year of Jubilee was also a reminder of God's ownership of the land and the people. It was a time to celebrate and give thanks for His provision and remember His faithfulness. It was a time of joy and freedom, as all slaves were to be released, and everyone was to return to their families and their own land.
At first glance, Leviticus Chapter 25 may seem like a set of random laws and regulations regarding the use of land and property. However, upon closer examination, we can see that there are deeper meanings and lessons that God intended for His people to learn from these laws.
One of the main themes of this chapter is the concept of rest and trust in God. The Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee were both meant to be a time of rest for the people and a reminder that they were not to rely solely on their own efforts and resources, but on God's provision. This was a test of their faith and obedience to God's commandments. It also served as a reminder that the land ultimately belonged to God, and the people were to be good stewards of it.
Another important theme of this chapter is the promotion of equality and the prevention of poverty. By allowing all people, including slaves, to gather food during the Sabbath year, and by returning land and property to its original owners during the Year of Jubilee, God was teaching His people to be fair and just towards one another. He wanted them to remember that they were all equal in His eyes and to take care of one another, especially the poor and the marginalized.
Moreover, the concept of the Year of Jubilee was also a foreshadowing of the ultimate redemption and restoration that would come through Jesus Christ. Just as the Year of Jubilee brought freedom and restoration to the Israelites, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross brought ultimate freedom and redemption to all who believe in Him. Through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life, Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Year of Jubilee, and we can now experience true joy and freedom in Him.
In conclusion, Leviticus Chapter 25 may seem like a list of laws and regulations regarding land and property, but it holds deeper meanings and lessons for us as believers. It teaches us about the importance of rest and trust in God's provision, promotes equality and justice, and points to the ultimate redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ. It is a chapter that reminds us of God's faithfulness and His desire for His people to live in harmony with one another and in obedience to His commandments.
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