CHAPTER 27
“Speak
to
the Israelites
and say
to them,
‘When
someone
makes a special
vow
to the LORD
involving the value
of persons,
if the valuation
concerns
a male
from twenty
to
sixty
years of age,
then your valuation
shall be
fifty
silver
shekels,
according to the sanctuary
shekel.
And if the person is
from five
to
twenty
years of age,
then your valuation
for the male
shall be
twenty
shekels,
and for the female
ten
shekels.
Now if the person is
one month
to
five
years of age,
then your valuation
for the male
shall be
five
shekels
of silver,
and for the female
three
shekels
of silver.
And if the person is
sixty
years of age
or older,
then your valuation
shall be
fifteen
shekels
for the male
and ten
shekels
and for the female.
But if
he
is poorer
than your valuation,
he is to present
the person before
the priest,
and the priest
shall set a value
for him.
The priest
will set a value
according to
what
the one making the vow
can afford.
If he vows
an
animal
that
may be brought
as an offering
to the LORD,
any
of these
that
he gives
to the LORD
will be
holy.
He must not
replace it
or exchange it,
either good
for bad
or
bad
for good.
But if
he does substitute
one animal
for another,
both that animal
and its substitute
will be
holy.
But if
the vow involves any
of the unclean
animals
that
may not
be brought
as an offering
to the LORD,
the animal
must be presented
before
the priest.
The priest
shall set its value,
whether high
or low;
as the priest
values it,
the price
will be set.
Now if
a man
consecrates
his house
as holy
to the LORD,
then the priest
shall value it
either as
good
or
bad.
The price will stand
just as
the priest
values
it.
But if
he who consecrated
his house
redeems
it,
he must add
a fifth
to
the assessed
value,
and it will belong
to him.
If
a man
consecrates
to the LORD
a parcel
of his land,
then your valuation
shall be
proportionate
to the seed required for it—
fifty
shekels
of silver
for every homer
of barley
seed.
If
he consecrates
his field
during the Year
of Jubilee,
the price will stand
according to your valuation.
But if
he consecrates
his field
after
the Jubilee,
the priest
is to calculate
the price
in proportion to
the years
left
until
the next Year
of Jubilee,
so that your valuation
will be reduced.
And if
the one who consecrated
the field
decides to redeem
it,
he must add
a fifth
to
the assessed
value,
and it shall belong
to him.
If, however,
he does not
redeem
the field,
or if
he has sold
it
to another
man,
it may no
longer
be redeemed.
When the field
is released
in the Jubilee,
it will become
holy,
like a field
devoted
to the LORD;
it becomes
the property
of the priests.
Now if
he consecrates
to the LORD
a field
he has purchased,
which
is not
a part
of his own property,
then the priest
shall calculate
for him the value
up to
the Year
of Jubilee,
and the man shall pay
the assessed value
on that
day
as a sacred offering
to the LORD.
In the Year
of Jubilee
the field
shall return
to the one from whom
it was bought—
the original owner
of the land.
But
no
one
may consecrate
a firstborn
of the livestock,
because
a firstborn
belongs to the LORD.
Whether
an animal from the herd
or
flock,
it is
the LORD’s.
But if
it is among the unclean
animals,
then he may redeem
it according to your valuation
and add
a fifth
of its value.
If
it is not
redeemed,
then it shall be sold
according to your valuation.
Nothing
that
a man
sets apart
to the LORD
from all he owns—
whether a man,
an animal,
or his inherited land—
can be sold
or redeemed;
everything
so devoted
is most
holy
to the LORD.
Thus any
the tithe
from the land,
whether from the seed
of the land
or the fruit
of the trees,
belongs to the LORD;
it
is holy
to the LORD.
Every
tenth
animal from the herd
or flock
that
passes
under
the shepherd’s rod
will be
holy
to the LORD.
He must not
inspect
whether it is good
or
bad,
and he shall not
make any substitution.
But if
he does make a substitution,
both the animal
and its substitute
shall become
holy;
they cannot
be redeemed.’”