Leviticus 25:39

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.

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 jubile:

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.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.
KJV: 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:
WEB: “‘If your brother has grown poor among you, and sells himself to you, you shall not make him to serve as a slave.
ASV: And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee; thou shalt not make him to serve as a bond-servant.
DARBY: And if thy brother grow poor beside thee, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
BLB: And if [one of] your brothers among you becomes poor, and he sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.

ÅB: Når din bror blir fattig og selger seg til deg, da skal du ikke la ham tjene hos deg som en slave tjener.
OTB: "'Hvis noen av dine med-israelitter blir fattige og selger seg selv til deg, skal du ikke behandle dem som slaver.
B1930: Når din bror blir fattig og selger sig til dig, da skal du ikke la ham tjene hos dig som en træl tjener.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 21:2
If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
Read in context
1 Kings 9:22
But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
Read in context
Leviticus 25:46
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 rigour.
Read in context
Nehemiah 5:5
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
Read in context
2 Kings 4:1
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
Read in context
Exodus 22:3
If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:8
For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
Read in context
Jeremiah 27:7
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.
Read in context