Deuteronomy 15

1 “In the seventh year, you shall perform a remission,

Debes anular las deudas al final de cada siete años.

2 which shall be celebrated according to this order. Anyone to whom anything is owed, by his friend or neighbor or brother, will not be able to request its return, because it is the year of remission of the Lord.

Así es como funcionará: Si le diste un préstamo a alguien, deberás anularlo. No podrás cobrar nada de otro israelita, porque el tiempo de cancelación de la deuda del Señor ha sido anunciado.

3 From the sojourner and the new arrival, you may require its return. From your fellow countryman and neighbor, you will not have the power to request its return.

Podrás cobrarle a un extranjero, pero deberás anular lo que te deba tu compañero israelita.

4 And there shall not be anyone indigent or begging among you, so that the Lord your God may bless you in the land which he will deliver to you as a possession.

Sin embargo, no debes tener gente pobre entre ti, porque el Señor ciertamente te bendecirá en el país que el Señor tu Dios te da para que lo poseas.

5 But only if you heed the voice of the Lord your God, and keep to all that he has ordered, that which I am entrusting to you this day, will he bless you, just as he has promised.

Sólo deberás asegurarte de obedecer al Señor tu Dios y seguir todos estos mandamientos que te doy hoy.

6 You shall lend money to many nations, and you yourselves shall borrow in return from no one. You shall rule over very many nations, and no one shall rule over you.

El Señor tu Dios te va a bendecir como lo prometió. Prestarás dinero a muchas naciones, pero no necesitarás pedir prestado a ninguna de ellas; gobernarás sobre muchas naciones, pero no serás gobernado por ellas.

7 If one of your brothers, who dwells within the gates of your city, in the land which the Lord your God will give to you, falls into poverty, you shall not harden your heart, nor tighten your hand.

Si hubiera israelitas pobres en cualquiera de tus pueblos, en el país que el Señor tu Dios te está dando, entonces no debes ser insensible o avaro con ellos.

8 Instead, you shall open your hand to the poor, and you shall lend to him whatever you perceive him to need.

Al contrario. Debes ser generoso con ellos y prestarles lo que necesiten.

9 Take care, lest perhaps an impious thought might creep within you, and you might say in your heart: ‘The seventh year of remission approaches.’ And so you might turn your eyes away from your poor brother, unwilling to lend to him what he has asked. If so, then he may cry out against you to the Lord, and it will be a sin for you.

No tengas malos pensamientos como: “Se acerca el séptimo año en el que se anularán las deudas”, para despreciar a los pobres con burlas y negarles cosa alguna. Ellos se quejarán de ti ante el Señor, y serás hallado culpable de pecado.

10 Instead, you shall give to him. Neither shall you do anything craftily while assisting him in his needs, so that the Lord your God may bless you, at all times and in all things to which you will put your hand.

Dales una y otra vez, y hazlo sin enojo. Cuando das generosamente, el Señor tu Dios te bendecirá en todo tu trabajo y en todo lo que emprendas.

11 The poor will not be absent from the land of your habitation. For this reason, I instruct you to open your hand to your indigent and poor brother, who lives among you in the land.

Siempre habrá personas pobres y necesitadas entre ustedes, por eso les ordeno que los ayuden generosamente.

12 When your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, has been sold to you, and has served you for six years, in the seventh year you shall set him free.

Si un hebreo, uno de tu propio pueblo, sea hombre o mujer, se vende a ti como esclavo y trabaja para ti durante seis años, tienes que liberarlo en el séptimo año.

13 And when you grant his freedom, you shall by no means permit him to go away empty.

Y cuando lo liberes, no lo despidas con las manos vacías.

14 Instead, you shall give to him, for his journey, from your flocks and threshing floor and winepress, with which the Lord your God has blessed you.

Dale muchos regalos: animales de tus rebaños, grano de tu era y vino de tu lagar. Dale tan generosamente como el Señor tu Dios te ha bendecido a ti.

15 Remember that you yourself also served in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God set you free. And therefore, I now command this of you.

No olvides que una vez fuiste esclavo en Egipto, y el Señor su Dios te liberó. Por eso hoy les doy esta orden.

16 But if he will say, ‘I am not willing to depart,’ because he loves you and your household, and because he feels that it would be good for him to stay with you,

Sin embargo, si tu esclavo varón te dice: “No quiero dejarte”, porque te ama a ti y a tu familia y es mejor que se quede contigo,

17 then you shall take an awl and pierce his ear, at the door of your house. And he shall serve you even forever. You shall also act similarly toward your woman servant.

entonces usa una herramienta de metal para perforar su oreja contra la puerta, y será tu esclavo de por vida. Haz lo mismo con tu esclava.

18 You should not avert your eyes from them when you set them free, because he has served you for six years, in a manner deserving of the pay of a hired hand. So may the Lord your God bless you in all the works that you do.

No veas como un problema liberar a tu esclava, porque los seis años de servicio de tu esclava valieron el doble de lo que hubieras pagado por contratar a alguien. El Señor tu Dios te bendecirá en todo lo que hagas por actuar de esta manera.

19 Of the firstborn, those born from your herds and sheep, you shall sanctify to the Lord your God whatever is of the male sex. You shall not put the firstborn of the oxen to work, nor shall you shear the firstborn of the sheep.

Debes hacer división para darle al Señor tu Dios todos los primogénitos de tus rebaños y manadas. No debes hacer trabajar al primogénito de tu ganado, y no deberás esquilar al primogénito de tus ovejas.

20 In the sight of the Lord your God, you shall eat these, each year, in the place which the Lord will choose, you and your household.

Cada año tú y tu familia comerán estos animales que han sido sacrificados en presencia del Señor tu Dios en el lugar que el Señor elija.

21 But if it has a blemish, or is lame, or is blind, or if it is in any part deformed or debilitated, it shall not be immolated to the Lord your God.

Sin embargo, si un animal tiene algún defecto o es cojo o ciego, de hecho si tiene algún defecto grave, no debes sacrificarlo al Señor tu Dios.

22 Instead, you shall eat it within the gates of your city. The clean as well as the unclean alike shall feed on these, such as the roe deer and the stag.

Cómelo en casa. Todos ustedes, tanto si están ceremonialmente limpios como si no, pueden comerlo como si se comieran una gacela o un ciervo,

23 This alone shall you observe: that you do not eat their blood, but pour it upon the ground like water.”

pero no comerán la sangre derramada.