וְכִֽי־יָמ֥וּךְ אָחִ֛יךָ עִמָּ֖ךְ וְנִמְכַּר־לָ֑ךְ לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ד בּ֖וֹ עֲבֹ֥דַת עָֽבֶד׃

If your brother shall become poor with you and is sold to you as a slave due to his financial situation, you shall not work him as a slave by forcing him to perform menial tasks.

כְּשָׂכִ֥יר כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב יִהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֑ךְ עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל יַעֲבֹ֥ד עִמָּֽךְ׃

In general, a master does not hesitate to compel his slaves to perform those denigrating tasks that he would not assign to a hired hand, who possesses enough leverage to refuse to do such work. Therefore, the Torah commands: As a hired laborer, as a resident of your area, he, the slave, shall be with you. Furthermore, until the Jubilee Year he shall work with you.

וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב׃

Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him. Anyone who buys a slave also acquires his family by default, as they have no one else to support them. When the slave goes free, his family leaves with him. He shall return to his family, and to the ancestral portion of his fathers he shall return.

כִּֽי־עֲבָדַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֹתָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לֹ֥א יִמָּכְר֖וּ מִמְכֶּ֥רֶת עָֽבֶד׃

The same principle that was stated above with regard to the land, “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, as the land is Mine” (verse 23), is applied here to the children of Israel. They too may not be sold permanently, for they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. The servants of God possess a lofty status, and therefore they shall not be sold as slaves. One may not treat them disrespectfully by putting them up for sale in a slave market.

לֹא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָ֑רֶךְ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Furthermore, you shall not oppress him with uncommonly hard labor; you shall fear your God.

וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִהְיוּ־לָ֑ךְ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מֵהֶ֥ם תִּקְנ֖וּ עֶ֥בֶד וְאָמָֽה׃

But your slaves and your maidservants whom you shall have from the nations that surround you: From them, but not from your fellow Israelites, you may buy a slave or a maidservant. Gentile slaves, who are not your brothers and do not merit special treatment, may be purchased from the neighboring peoples.

וְ֠גַם מִבְּנֵ֨י הַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜ים הַגָּרִ֤ים עִמָּכֶם֙ מֵהֶ֣ם תִּקְנ֔וּ וּמִמִּשְׁפַּחְתָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹלִ֖ידוּ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם וְהָי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לַֽאֲחֻזָּֽה׃

Also from the children of the resident aliens who reside with you, gentiles who are resident aliens in the Land of Israel, who accept certain basic norms of the Israelites but have not become fully part of the nation, from them you shall buy, and from their families that are with you, which they have begotten in your land; they shall be an ancestral portion for you. These slaves may be bought, and you may use them throughout your lives.

וְהִתְנַחֲלְתֶּ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם לִבְנֵיכֶ֤ם אַחֲרֵיכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֲחֻזָּ֔ה לְעֹלָ֖ם בָּהֶ֣ם תַּעֲבֹ֑דוּ וּבְאַ֨חֵיכֶ֤ם בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אִ֣ישׁ בְּאָחִ֔יו לֹא־תִרְדֶּ֥ה ב֖וֹ בְּפָֽרֶךְ׃ (ס)

Furthermore, you shall bequeath them to your children after you, to inherit as an ancestral portion; like all your other possessions, they are inherited by your children. You shall enslave them forever; there is no set date when you must emancipate them. Indeed, this verse indicates that it is undesirable to free them at all. But with regard to your brethren the children of Israel, one to another, you shall not oppress him with hard labor. You must treat them gently and with respect.