Leviticus 25:43

New Century Version

You must not rule this person cruelly, but you must respect your God.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

King James Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Lexham English Bible
You shall not rule over him with ruthlessness, but you shall revere your God.

New English Translation
You must not rule over him harshly, but you must fear your God.

Amplified Bible
'You shall not rule over him with harshness (severity, oppression), but you are to fear your God [with profound reverence].

New American Standard Bible
'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not rule ouer him cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not have dominion over him with brutality, but you shall fear your God.

Contemporary English Version
So obey me, and don't be cruel to the poor.

Complete Jewish Bible
Do not treat him harshly, but fear your God.

Darby Translation
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; and thou shalt fear thy God.

Easy-to-Read Version
You must not be a cruel master to them. You must respect your God.

English Standard Version
You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God.

George Lamsa Translation
You shall not compel them to do hard work; but shall fear your God.

Good News Translation
Do not treat them harshly, but obey your God.

Christian Standard Bible®
You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.

Literal Translation
You shall not rule over him with severity, and you shall fear your God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thou shalt not raigne ouer them with crueltie, but shalt feare thy God.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

Bible in Basic English
Do not be a hard master to him, but have the fear of God before you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not rule ouer hym cruelly, but shalt feare thy God.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not rule ouer him with rigour, but shalt feare thy God.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not oppress him with labour, and shalt fear the Lord thy God.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Berean Standard Bible
You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
turmente thou not hem bi thi power, but drede thou thi Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
thou rulest not over him with rigour, and thou hast been afraid of thy God.

Update Bible Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

World English Bible
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but shall fear your God.

New King James Version
You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God.

New Living Translation
Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly.

New Life Bible
Do not make it hard for him, but fear your God.

New Revised Standard
You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour, - so shalt thou stand in awe of thy God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Afflict him not by might: but fear thy God.

Revised Standard Version
You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God.

Contextual Overview

³⁹ "‘If anyone from your country becomes very poor and sells himself as a slave to you, you must not make him work like a slave. ⁴⁰ He will be like a hired worker and a visitor 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 cruelly, but you must respect 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 foreigners living in your land. These child slaves will belong to you, ⁴⁶ and you may even pass them on to your children after you die; you can make them slaves forever. But you must not rule cruelly over your own people, the Israelites. ⁴⁷ "‘Suppose a foreigner or visitor among you becomes rich. If someone in your country becomes so poor that he has to sell himself as a slave to the foreigner living among you or to a member of the foreigner's family, ⁴⁸ the poor person has the right to be bought back and become free. One of his relatives may buy him back:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

rule: Leviticus 25:46, Leviticus 25:53, Exodus 1:13, Exodus 1:14, Exodus 2:23, Exodus 3:7, Exodus 3:9, Exodus 5:14, Isaiah 47:6, Isaiah 58:3, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 4:1

but shalt: Leviticus 25:17, Exodus 1:17, Exodus 1:21, Deuteronomy 25:18, Malachi 3:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:18 - I fear God Job 31:13 - the cause

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour,.... As the Egyptians ruled over the Israelites, and made them to serve, Exodus 1:13; where the same word is used as here, and seems designed to put them in mind of it, that so they might abstain from such usage of their brethren, which they had met with from their most cruel enemies; it signifies tyranny and oppression, treating them with great severity, laying hard and heavy tasks and burdens upon them they could not bear; enjoining them things they could not perform, and ordering them to do what were unnecessary, and without any limitation with respect to time:

but shalt fear thy God; that has been good to thee, and has brought thee out of hard and rigorous bondage in Egypt; and which should be remembered with thankfulness, and they should fear to offend so good a God by using a brother cruelly.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fear thy God - Yahweh was the Lord and Master of His people. To treat a Hebrew as a slave was therefore to interfere with the rights of Yahweh. Compare Romans 14:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 25:43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour — What is rigorous service? "Service which is not determined, and service whereof there is no need." This is the definition given by the Jews; but much more is implied in this command than is expressed here. Labour beyond the person's strength, or labour too long continued, or in unhealthy or uncomfortable places and circumstances, or without sufficient food, c., is labour exacted with rigour, and consequently inhuman and this law is made, not for the Mosaic dispensation and the Jewish people, but for every dispensation and for every people under heaven.