Which Bible verse is engraved on the Liberty Bell, a symbol linked with America’s founding?

Leviticus 25:10 is the Bible verse engraved on the Liberty Bell.

The bell’s inscription paraphrases a passage from the King James Bible: “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.” The wording comes from Leviticus 25:10, which discusses the jubilee year in ancient Israel and the proclamation of liberty.

The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the bell in 1751 for the State House in Philadelphia, the building now known as Independence Hall. It was cast in London and arrived in 1752. The bell cracked during an early test and was recast in Philadelphia before entering service.

The Liberty Bell was not rung to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence, despite a popular story connecting it directly with that event. Its later use as an abolitionist and patriotic symbol helped give the inscription broader significance. The bell’s visible crack became part of its identity, although the exact history of the final crack is debated.