14 Bible Verses about People Freeing Slaves
Most Relevant Verses
“When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.
“If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.
At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you. But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention.
And if he does not do these three things for her, she may leave free of charge, without any exchange of money.
“When a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave and destroys it, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his eye.
If he knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free in compensation for his tooth.
If he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released at the Year of Jubilee.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom to them, so each man would free his male and female Hebrew slaves and no one would enslave his Judean brother. All the officials and people who entered into covenant to free their male and female slaves—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and freed them.
Today you repented and did what pleased Me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me at the temple called by My name.
Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.
“But if the slave declares: ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to leave as a free man,’
But if your slave says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and is well off with you,
“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to leave as the male slaves do.
