利未記25:23-34

25:23 「地不可永賣，因為地是我的；你們在我面前是客旅，是寄居的。
25:24 在你們所得為業的全地，也要准人將地贖回。
25:25 你的弟兄（弟兄是指本國人說；下同）若漸漸窮乏，賣了幾分地業，他至近的親屬就要來把弟兄所賣的贖回。
25:26 若沒有能給他贖回的，他自己漸漸富足，能夠贖回，
25:27 就要算出賣地的年數，把餘剩年數的價值還那買主，自己便歸回自己的地業。
25:28 倘若不能為自己得回所賣的，仍要存在買主的手裡直到禧年；到了禧年，地業要出買主的手，自己便歸回自己的地業。
25:29 「人若賣城內的住宅，賣了以後，一年之內可以贖回；在一整年，必有贖回的權柄。
25:30 若在一整年之內不贖回，這城內的房屋就定准永歸買主，世世代代為業；在禧年也不得出買主的手。
25:31 但房屋在無城牆的村莊裡，要看如鄉下的田地一樣，可以贖回；到了禧年，都要出買主的手。
25:32 然而利未人所得為業的城邑，其中的房屋，利未人可以隨時贖回。
25:33 若是一個利未人不將所賣的房屋贖回，是在所得為業的城內，到了禧年就要出買主的手，因為利未人城邑的房屋是他們在以色列人中的產業。
25:34 只是他們各城郊野之地不可賣，因為是他們永遠的產業。」

²³ “‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. ²⁴ Throughout 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. ²⁶ If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, ²⁷ they 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. ²⁸ But 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. ³⁰ If 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. ³¹ But 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. ³³ So 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. ³⁴ But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.

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    用現代人的法律觀念來定依這段經文，可以說是上帝的「房屋和土地法」。因為房屋和土地世人安身立命的地方，這可以說是重要的法律規範，尤其是對人的生活和生命有重大影響。

    土地是可以贖回的，甚至在禧年的時候，可以不花錢就贖回。在鄉間的房子，也和土地一般。然而城市的房子贖回期限是一年，沒有贖回就是永遠賣出了，還可以一代傳一代。但是，利未人不管房子和土地，不管鄉村或都市，都可以贖回。因為，「只是他們各城郊野之地不可賣，因為是他們永遠的產業。」

    這樣的「房屋和土地法」，是出於上帝的慈愛與恩惠，這樣也不會有炒地皮的人了，使人有田、有屋！