Bible/King James/Documentary Hypothesis/Priestly source/Holiness code

<Bible, English, King James, According to the documentary hypothesis | Priestly source

The Holiness code is a portion of the text of Leviticus considered as a distinct entity due to its highly repeated use of the term "holy". In the documentary hypothesis, it is considered part of the Priestly source, although as an originally separate text (known to scholars as "H"), embodied in the Priestly source by the Priestly source's writer.

It appears at Leviticus 17-26, excepting
 * the occasional introductory passages ("And God spoke unto to Moses, speak unto ...")
 * references to the tabernacle
 * references to anointing oil, and the head of the high priest
 * Leviticus 23:1-10a (reference to passover, and the sabbath)
 * Leviticus 23:23-44 (reference to the feasts of the seventh month)
 * Leviticus 24:1-15a (reference to an incident of blasphemy)
 * Leviticus 24:23 (reference to the stoning of a blasphemer)
 * Leviticus 25:9b (reference to the Yom Kippur)
 * Leviticus 25:23 and 25:26-34 (reference to land reverting to its original owner)
 * Leviticus 25:40, 25:42, 25:44-46, 25:48-52, and 25:54 (reference to only the heathen being allowed as slaves)
 * Leviticus 26:39-46 (reference to return from exile)

Outside the documentary hypothesis, the term "holiness code" is often used to refer to the whole of Leviticus 17-26. It is believed that the holiness code is a complition of laws collected from elsewhere. However, two portions of the holiness code, concerning sexual prohibitions, are believed to have been derived from a previous collection.


 * The holiness code is in black except
 * The list of sexual prohibitions, which is highlighted in navy blue (View in isolation)

The Holiness Code
1 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,

2 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat,

3 And bringeth it not to offer an offering unto the LORD;

4 Blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD,

6 Unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.

7 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD,

8 And burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

9 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring.

10 Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,

11 And bringeth it not to offer it unto the LORD;

12 Even that man shall be cut off from among his people.

13 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood;

14 I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

15 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls:

16 For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

17 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.

18 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you,

19 Which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten;

20 He shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.

21 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof:

22 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh:

23 For the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

24 I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do:

25 And after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

26 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

27 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

28 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

29 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover:

30 She is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

31 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

32 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother,

33 Whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

34 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover:

35 For theirs is thine own nakedness.

36 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

37 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

38 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.

39 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.

40 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

41 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

42 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter,

43 Neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness;

44 For they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

45 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

46 Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

47 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.

48 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech,

49 Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

50 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

51 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith:

52 Neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

53 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:

54 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

55 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations;

56 Neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

57 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

58 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

59 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

60 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you,

61 And that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

62 Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

63 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

64 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

65 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

66 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.

67 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.

68 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD:

69 And that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

70 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field,

71 Neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

72 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

73 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

74 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

75 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him:

76 The wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

77 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

78 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty:

79 But in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

80 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people:

81 Neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the LORD.

82 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

83 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

84 Ye shall keep my statutes.

85 Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed:

86 Neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

87 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her;

88 She shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

89 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food,

90 Then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.

91 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.

92 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

93 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

94 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

95 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

96 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

97 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

98 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

99 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

100 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

101 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;

102 For ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

103 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.

104 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have:

105 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

106 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

107 Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech;

108 He shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

109 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people;

110 Because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.

111 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:

112 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off,

113 And all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

114 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them,

115 I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

116 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

117 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

118 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death:

119 He hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

120 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife,

121 The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

122 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness:

123 Both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

124 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death:

125 They have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

126 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination:

127 They shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

128 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness:

129 They shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

130 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

131 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast:

132 They shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

133 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness;

134 It is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people:

135 He hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

136 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness;

137 He hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood:

138 And both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

139 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister:

140 For he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

141 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

142 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

143 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them:

144 That the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

145 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you:

146 For they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

147 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey:

148 I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.

149 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean:

150 And ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

151 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

152 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death:

153 They shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

154 There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

155 But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother.

156 And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

157 But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

158 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

159 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God:

160 For the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

161 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane;

162 Neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

163 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God:

164 He shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.

165 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

166 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

167 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God;

168 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

169 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take:

170 But he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

171 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

172 Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

173 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach:

174 A blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

175 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

176 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

177 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish;

178 That he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

179 That they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel,

180 And that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

181 Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations,

182 That goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him,

183 That soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.

184 What man soever is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean.

185 And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;

186 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean,

187 Or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;

188 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

189 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.

190 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the LORD.

191 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

192 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

193 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

194 If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

195 But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth,

196 She shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall be no stranger eat thereof.

197 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it,

198 And shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

199 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;

200 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

201 Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows,

202 And for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;

203 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

204 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

205 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep,

206 It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

207 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD,

208 Nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

209 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts,

210 That mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

211 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

212 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these;

213 Because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

214 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam;

215 And from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

216 And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

217 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

218 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.

219 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.

220 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,

221 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

222 Ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

223 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you:

224 On the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

225 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

226 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour:

227 And the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.

228 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

229 It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

230 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering;

231 Seven sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days;

232 And ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals;

233 They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

234 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams:

235 They shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings,

236 Even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.

237 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

238 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs:

239 They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

240 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest,

241 Neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

242 Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

243 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him:

244 As well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.

245 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

246 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.

247 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;

248 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

249 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

250 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

251 The land shall keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

252 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

253 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD:

254 Thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

255 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed:

256 For it is a year of rest unto the land.

257 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you;

258 For thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee.

259 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

260 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years;

261 And the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

262 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month,

263 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you;

264 And ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

265 In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.

266 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

267 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof,

268 And according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it:

269 For according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.

270 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God:for I am the LORD your God.

271 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

272 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

273 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

274 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

275 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.

276 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

277 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession,

278 And if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

279 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him:

280 Yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.

281 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

282 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

283 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.

284 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:

285 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him,

286 And shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

287 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

288 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor,

289 And sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

290 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.

291 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt:

292 I am the LORD your God.

293 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image,

294 Neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

295 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

296 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

297 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

298 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time:

299 And ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

300 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid:

301 And I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

302 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

303 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight:

304 And your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

305 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

306 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.

307 And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

308 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

309 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen;

310 And I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

311 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;

312 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments,

313 So that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you;

314 I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart:

315 And ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

316 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies:

317 They that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

318 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

319 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

320 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

321 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

322 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number;

323 And your high ways shall be desolate.

324 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

325 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

326 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant:

327 And when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

328 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven,

329 And they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

330 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;

331 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

332 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

333 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images,

334 And cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

335 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.

336 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.

337 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

338 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land;

339 Even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

340 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

341 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;

342 And the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

343 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth:

344 And ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

345 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.