The inscription on the Liberty Bell is from
"Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," from Leviticus 25:10

The Liberty Bell

A chime that changed the world occurred on July 8, 1776 , when the Liberty Bell rang out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning citizens to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

The Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the Bell in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges.

Penn's charter, Pennsylvania 's original Constitution, speaks of the rights and freedoms valued by people the world over. Particularly forward thinking were Penn's ideas on religious freedom, his liberal stance on Native American rights, and his inclusion of citizens in enacting laws.
As it was to commemorate the Charter's golden anniversary, the quotation

"Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land

unto all the inhabitants thereof," from

Leviticus 25:10, was particularly apt. For the line in the Bible immediately preceding "proclaim liberty" is, "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year." What better way to pay homage to Penn and hallow the 50th year than with a bell proclaiming liberty?

Current location: Liberty Bell Pavilion (since 1976), Market Street between 5th & 6th, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania

Bell owner: City of Philadelphia . The National Park Service is responsible for maintaining and displaying it.

Historical Highlights

Bell original cast: London 's Whitechapel Foundry, 1752. Arrived in Philadelphia in August, and cracked during test ringing. It was melted-down to make a second bell.

Bell recast 1: Pass & Stow Philadelphia , April 1753. It's poor tone was believed to be from too much copper. It was melted-down to make the third and final bell.

Bell recast 2: Pass & Stow Philadelphia , June 1753. This is the celebrated Liberty Bell that exists today.

The inscription changed during the recasting process. The table below compares the inscription specified in the Whitechaple contract with the words inscribed on the Pass and Stow bell.

As Specified in the contract

BY order of the Assembly of the povince of Pensylvania for the State house in the City of Philadª 1752

Proclaim Liberty thro' all the Land to all the inhabitants thereof Levit. XXV.10.

As recast by Pass and Stow

Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV.V X.

By order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA for the State House in Philadª

Pass and Stow
Philadª
MDCCLIII

Notes:

"province" is misspelled "povince" in the contract.