The Sabbath Year
1The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.
The Year of Jubilee
8“ ‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. 11The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.
13“ ‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.
14“ ‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other. 15You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. 16When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. 17Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.
18“ ‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. 19Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. 20You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. 22While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.
23“ ‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. 24Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.
25“ ‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. 26If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27they are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property. 28But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.
29“ ‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. 30If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. 31But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.
32“ ‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess. 33So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. 34But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.
35“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. 37You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. 38I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.
39“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. 40They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. 42Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. 43Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God.
44“ ‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45You 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. 46You 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 to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: 49An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves. 50They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker for that number of years. 51If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly. 53They 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.
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, 55for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Mwaka Wa Sabato
(Kumbukumbu 15:1-11)
125:1 Kut 19:11Bwana akamwambia Mose katika Mlima Sinai, 225:2 Kut 23:10; Law 26:34-35; 2Nya 36:21“Sema na Waisraeli uwaambie: ‘Mtakapoingia katika nchi ninayowapa ninyi, nchi yenyewe ni lazima ishike Sabato kwa ajili ya Bwana. 325:3 Kut 23:10; 25:4Kwa miaka sita mtapanda mazao katika mashamba yenu, nanyi kwa miaka sita mtaikata mizabibu yenu matawi na kuvuna mazao yake. 425:4 Law 26:35; 2Nya 36:21; Isa 36:16; 37:30Lakini mwaka wa saba nchi lazima iwe na Sabato ya mapumziko, Sabato kwa Bwana. Msipande mbegu katika mashamba yenu, wala msikate mizabibu yenu matawi. 525:5 2Fal 19:29; Mwa 40:10; Hes 6:3; 13:20; Kum 23:24; Neh 13:15; Isa 5:2; 37:30Msivune na kuweka akiba kinachoota chenyewe, wala kuvuna na kusindika zabibu ambayo hamkuhudumia mashamba yake. Nchi lazima iwe na mwaka wa mapumziko. 6Chochote nchi itoacho katika mwaka wa Sabato kitakuwa chakula chenu wenyewe, watumishi wenu wa kiume na wa kike, mfanyakazi aliyeajiriwa, na mkazi wa muda anayeishi miongoni mwenu, 725:7 Kut 23:11vilevile malisho ya mifugo yenu na wanyama pori katika nchi yenu. Chochote nchi itakachozalisha kinaweza kuliwa.
Mwaka Wa Yubile
8“ ‘Hesabu Sabato saba za miaka, yaani miaka saba mara saba, ili Sabato saba za miaka utakuwa muda wa miaka arobaini na tisa. 925:9 Law 16:29; 23:24; Hes 10:8; Yos 6:4; Amu 3:27; 7:16; 1Sam 13:3; Isa 27:13; Zek 9:14; Kut 30:10Ndipo tarumbeta itapigwa kila mahali katika siku ya kumi ya mwezi wa saba. Katika Siku ya Upatanisho, piga tarumbeta katika nchi yako yote. 1025:10 Isa 61:1; Yer 34:8, 15, 17; Lk 4:19; Law 27:17, 21; Hes 36:4; Eze 46:17; Kut 20:2; Ezr 6:3; Gal 5:1Mwaka wa hamsini mtauweka wakfu na kutangaza uhuru katika nchi kwa wakazi wake wote. Itakuwa ni yubile25:10 Yubile ni baragumu iliopigwa kila mwaka wa hamsini; ni Sabato ya nchi ya kila mwaka wa hamsini uliokuwa mwaka wa ukombozi, yaani kuachia huru. kwenu; kila mmoja wenu atairudia mali ya jamaa yake, na kila mmoja kurudi kwenye ukoo wake. 11Mwaka wa hamsini utakuwa yubile kwenu, msipande wala msivune kile kiotacho chenyewe, au kuvuna zabibu zisizohudumiwa. 12Kwa kuwa ni yubile, nayo itakuwa takatifu kwenu; mtakula tu kile kilichotoka moja kwa moja mashambani.
13“ ‘Katika huu Mwaka wa Yubile, kila mmoja atarudi kwenye mali yake mwenyewe.
1425:14 Law 19:13; 1Sam 12:3-4; 1Kor 6:8; Za 10:18; Mik 2:2“ ‘Ikiwa utauza ardhi kwa mmoja wa wazawa wa nchi yako, au ukinunua ardhi kutoka kwake, mmoja asimpunje mwingine. 1525:15 Law 27:18, 23Utanunua ardhi kwa mzawa wa nchi yako kwa misingi ya hesabu ya miaka baada ya Yubile. Naye ataiuza kwako kwa misingi ya hesabu ya miaka iliyobaki kwa kuvuna mavuno. 16Miaka inapokuwa mingi, utaongeza bei, nayo miaka ikiwa michache, utapunguza bei, kwa sababu kile anachokuuzia kwa hakika ni hesabu ya mazao. 1725:17 Law 19:13, 14, 32; Ay 31:16; Mit 22:22; Yer 7:5-6; 21:12; 22:3; Zek 7:9-10; 1The 4:6; Mit 14:31; Eze 22:29Mmoja asimpunje mwingine, bali utamcha Mungu wako. Mimi ndimi Bwana Mungu wako.
1825:18 Mwa 26:5; Law 26:4-5; Kum 12:10; 33:28; Ay 5:22; Za 4:8; Yer 23:6; 30:10; 32:37; 33:16; Eze 28:26; 34:25; 38:14“ ‘Fuateni amri zangu, mwe waangalifu kutii amri zangu, nanyi mtaishi salama katika nchi. 1925:19 Law 26:4; Kum 11:14; 28:12; Isa 55:10; Mt 6:25; Hes 11:4-13; 2Fal 6:15Kisha nchi itazaa matunda yake, nanyi mtakula na kushiba na kuishi humo kwa salama. 20Mwaweza kuuliza, “Tutakula nini katika mwaka wa saba ikiwa hatutapanda wala kuvuna mazao yetu?” 2125:21 Kum 28:8-12; Za 133:3; 134:3; 147:13; Eze 44:30; Hag 2:19; Mal 3:10; Kut 16:5Nitawapelekeeni baraka ya pekee katika mwaka wa sita, kwamba nchi itazalisha mazao ya kutosha kwa miaka mitatu. 2225:22 Law 26:10; 2Fal 19:29; Yos 5:11Mnapopanda mwaka wa nane, mtakula mavuno ya miaka iliyopita. Pia mtaendelea kuyala mazao hayo hadi mvune mavuno ya mwaka wa tisa.
2325:23 Hes 36:7; 1Fal 21:3; Eze 46:18; Kut 19:5; Mwa 23:4; Ebr 11:13“ ‘Kamwe ardhi isiuzwe kwa mkataba wa kudumu, kwa sababu nchi ni mali yangu, nanyi ni wageni na wapangaji wangu. 2425:24 Rut 4:7; Yer 32:8Katika nchi yote mtakayoshika kuwa milki yenu, ni lazima mtoe ukombozi wa ardhi.
2525:25 Rut 2:20; 4:4; Yer 32:7; Law 27:13-31“ ‘Ikiwa mmoja wa wazawa wa nchi yako amekuwa maskini na akauza baadhi ya mali yake, ndugu yake wa karibu atakuja na kukomboa kile ndugu yako alichokiuza. 26Iwapo mtu huyo hana jamaa wa karibu wa kukomboa mali hiyo kwa ajili yake, lakini yeye mwenyewe akafanikiwa na kupata mali itoshayo kuikomboa, 27ataamua tena thamani yake kwa miaka tangu alipoiuza, na kurudisha kiasi kilichobaki cha thamani kwa mtu ambaye alikuwa amemuuzia mali hiyo, naye ataweza kuirudia mali yake. 28Lakini kama hatapata njia ya kumlipa mnunuzi, ile mali aliyouza itabaki kumilikiwa na mnunuzi mpaka Mwaka wa Yubile. Mali hiyo itarudishwa mwaka wa Yubile, naye ataweza kuirudia mali yake.
29“ ‘Ikiwa mtu atauza nyumba iliyo ndani ya mji uliozungukwa kwa ukuta, yeye anayo haki ya kuikomboa mwaka mzima baada ya mauzo ya hiyo nyumba. Wakati huo anaweza kuikomboa. 30Ikiwa haikukombolewa kabla ya mwaka mmoja kamili kupita, nyumba iliyo ndani ya mji uliozungukwa kwa ukuta itakuwa mali ya kudumu ya mnunuzi na wazao wake. Haitarudishwa mwaka wa Yubile. 31Lakini nyumba zilizo vijijini bila ya kuwa na kuta zilizozizunguka zitahesabiwa kama mashamba. Zinaweza kukombolewa, nazo zirudishwe katika mwaka wa Yubile.
3225:32 Hes 35:1-8; Yos 21:2“ ‘Walawi siku zote wana haki ya kukomboa nyumba zao katika miji ya Walawi wanayoimiliki. 33Kwa hiyo mali ya Mlawi inaweza kukombolewa, yaani nyumba iliyouzwa katika mji wowote wanaoushikilia itarudishwa mwaka wa Yubile, kwa sababu nyumba zilizo katika miji ya Walawi ni mali yao miongoni mwa Waisraeli. 3425:34 Hes 35:2-5; Eze 48:14; Mdo 4:36Lakini nchi ya malisho iliyo mali ya miji yao kamwe isiuzwe, ni milki yao ya kudumu.
3525:35 Kum 24:14-15; 15:8; Za 37:21-26; Mit 21:26; Lk 6:35; Mdo 11:29; Rum 12:18; 1Yn 3:17; Kum 15:7“ ‘Ikiwa mmoja wa wazawa wa nchi yako amekuwa maskini, naye akashindwa kujitegemeza mwenyewe katikati yako, msaidie kama vile ambavyo ungelimsaidia mgeni au kama mkazi wa muda, ili aweze kuendelea kuishi katikati yako. 3625:36 Kut 22:25; Yer 15:10; Law 19:32; Kum 23:19; Neh 5:7; Za 15:5; Mit 28:8; Eze 18:8Usichukue riba wala faida yoyote kutoka kwake, bali utamwogopa Mungu wako, ili mzawa wa nchi yako aweze kuendelea kuishi katikati yako. 3725:37 Kut 22:25Usimkopeshe fedha ili alipe na riba, wala usimuuzie chakula kwa faida. 3825:38 Mwa 10:19; 17:7; Law 11:45Mimi ndimi Bwana Mungu wako, niliyekuleta kutoka nchi ya Misri nikupe nchi ya Kanaani, nami niwe Mungu wako.
3925:39 1Fal 5:13; 9:23; Yer 34:14; Kut 21:2; 22:3; Kum 15:12“ ‘Ikiwa mmoja wa wazawa wa nchi yako amekuwa maskini katikati yako, naye akajiuza kwako, usimfanye atumike kama mtumwa. 40Atatendewa kama mfanyakazi aliyeajiriwa, au kama mkazi wa muda katikati yako, naye atatumika mpaka Mwaka wa Yubile. 41Ndipo yeye na watoto wake wataachiwa, naye atarudi kwa watu wa ukoo wake, na kwenye mali ya baba zake. 4225:42 Rum 6:22; 1Kor 7:23Kwa sababu Waisraeli ni watumishi wangu niliowaleta kutoka nchi ya Misri, kamwe wasiuzwe kama watumwa. 4325:43 Kut 1:13; Eze 34:4; Kol 4:1; Mwa 42:18; Isa 47:6; Efe 6:9; Kum 25:18; Mal 3:5Usiwatawale kwa ukatili, lakini utamcha Mungu wako.
44“ ‘Watumwa wako wa kiume na wa kike watatoka katika mataifa yanayokuzunguka; kutoka kwao waweza kununua watumwa. 45Pia waweza kununua baadhi ya wakazi wa muda wanaoishi katikati yako, na jamaa ya koo zao waliozaliwa katika nchi yako, nao watakuwa mali yako. 46Hao waweza kuwarithisha watoto wako kuwa urithi wao, na wanaweza kuwafanya watumwa maisha yao yote, lakini usiwatawale ndugu zako Waisraeli kwa ukatili.
4725:47 Neh 5:5; Ay 24:9“ ‘Ikiwa mgeni au mkazi wa muda katikati yako atakuwa tajiri, na mmoja wa wazawa wa nchi yako akawa maskini, naye akajiuza kwa yule mgeni anayeishi katikati yako, au kwa mmoja wa jamaa wa koo za wageni, 48anayo haki ya kukombolewa baada ya kujiuza. Mmoja wa jamaa zake aweza kumkomboa: 49Mjomba wake, au binamu yake, au yeyote aliye ndugu wa damu katika ukoo wake aweza kumkomboa. Au ikiwa atafanikiwa, anaweza kujikomboa mwenyewe. 5025:50 Ay 7:1; 14:6; Isa 16:14; 21:16Yeye na huyo aliyemnunua watahesabu muda kuanzia mwaka aliojiuza hadi Mwaka wa Yubile. Mahali pa kuanzia bei ya kuachiwa kwake itakadiriwa kwa ujira unaolipwa mfanyakazi aliyeajiriwa kwa idadi ya hiyo miaka. 51Ikiwa imebaki miaka mingi, ni lazima atalipia ukombozi wake fungu kubwa la bei iliyolipwa kumnunua yeye. 52Ikiwa miaka iliyobaki ni michache kufikia Mwaka wa Yubile, atafanya hesabu yake, naye atalipa malipo yanayostahili kwa ajili ya ukombozi wake. 5325:53 Kol 4:1Atatendewa kama mtu wa kuajiriwa mwaka hadi mwaka; lazima uone kwamba yule aliyemnunua hamtawali kwa ukatili.
54“ ‘Hata ikiwa hakukombolewa kwa njia mojawapo ya hizi, yeye na watoto wake wataachiwa katika Mwaka wa Yubile, 5525:55 Law 11:44-45kwa maana Waisraeli ni mali yangu kama watumishi. Wao ni watumishi wangu, niliowatoa kutoka nchi ya Misri. Mimi ndimi Bwana Mungu wako.
