who is the down payment ¹  of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, ²  to the praise of his glory.

As for ¹  the cities of the Levites, the houses in the cities which they possess, ²  the Levites must have a perpetual right of redemption.

And for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,

“‘If a man sells a residential house in a walled city, ¹  its right of redemption must extend ²  until one full year from its sale; ³  its right of redemption must extend to a full calendar year. ⁴ 

Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, ¹  groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, ²  the redemption of our bodies. ³ 

And those that must be redeemed you are to redeem when they are a month old, according to your estimation, for five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel (which is twenty gerahs).

If a man has no redeemer, but he prospers ¹  and gains enough for its redemption, ² 

The guardian said, “Then I am unable to redeem it, for I would ruin my own inheritance ¹  in that case. You may exercise my redemption option, for I am unable to redeem it.” ² 

‘Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you soon. He will say to you, “Buy my field at Anathoth because you are entitled ¹  as my closest relative to buy it.”’ ² 

Now it happened just as the Lord had said! My cousin Hanamel ¹  came to me in the courtyard of the guardhouse. He said to me, ‘Buy my field which is at Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Buy it for yourself since you are entitled as my closest relative to take possession of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized that the Lord had indeed spoken to me.

“Blessed ¹  be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help ²  and has redeemed ³  his people.

The houses of villages, however, ¹  which have no wall surrounding them ²  must be considered as the field ³  of the land; they will have the right of redemption and must revert in the jubilee.

(Now this used to be the customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel: ¹  A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party. ²  This was a legally binding act ³  in Israel.)

And so he is the mediator ¹  of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, ²  since he died ³  to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.

I will put a division ¹  between my people and your people. This sign will take place ²  tomorrow.”’”

When there is no prophetic vision ¹  the people cast off restraint, ²  but the one who keeps the law, ³  blessed is he! ⁴ 

The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem, ¹  and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem.

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as ¹  God Almighty, ²  but by ³  my name ‘the Lord’ ⁴  I was not known to them. ⁵ 

“Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. ¹  You must give me the firstborn of your sons.

“‘If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, you must not subject him to slave service. ¹