Leviticus 25:39-46

Expanded Bible

³⁹ “‘If ·anyone from your country [your brother/kinsman] becomes very poor and sells himself as a slave to you, you must not make him work like a slave [Ex. 21:2–6; Deut. 15:12–18]. ⁴⁰ He will be like a hired worker and a ·visitor [or tenant] with you until the year of Jubilee. ⁴¹ Then he may leave you, take his children, and go back to his family and the land of his ancestors. ⁴² This is because the Israelites are my servants, and I brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They must not become slaves again. ⁴³ You must not ·rule this person [exercise dominion; Gen. 1:26] cruelly, but you must ·respect [fear] your God.

⁴⁴ “‘Your men and women slaves must come from other nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. ⁴⁵ Also you may buy as slaves children from the families of ·strangers [sojourners/wanderers/resident aliens] or ·foreigners [or tenants] living in your land. ·These child slaves will belong to you [^LThose born in your land will be your property], ⁴⁶ and you may even ·pass them on to your children after you die [will them to your children]; you can make them slaves forever. But you must not ·rule [exercise dominion] cruelly over your own ·people [brothers; kinsmen], the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel].