Deuteronomy 15

1 At the end of every seven years you shall make a release.

“At the end of seven years you make a release,

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.

and this [is] the matter of the release: every owner of a loan [is] to release his hand which he lifts up against his neighbor, he does not exact of his neighbor and of his brother, but has proclaimed a release to YHWH;

3 Of a foreigner you may exact it again: but that which is your with your brother your hand shall release;

of the stranger you may exact, but that which is yours with your brother your hand releases,

4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it:

except there is an end [when] no poor [are] with you; for YHWH greatly blesses you in the land which your God YHWH is giving to you [for] an inheritance to possess it,

5 Only if you carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day.

only if you listen diligently to the voice of your God YHWH, to observe to do all this command which I am commanding you today.

6 For the LORD your God blesses you, as he promised you: and you shall lend unto many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

For your God YHWH has blessed you as He has spoken to you; and you have lent [to] many nations, but you have not borrowed; and you have ruled over many nations, but they do not rule over you.

7 If there be among you a poor man of one of your brethren within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother:

When there is with you any poor of one of your brothers, in one of your cities, in your land which your God YHWH is giving to you, you do not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother;

8 But you shall open your hand wide unto him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants.

for you certainly open your hand to him, and certainly lend him sufficiency for his lack which he lacks.

9 Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry unto the LORD against you, and it be sin unto you.

Take heed to yourself lest there be a worthless word in your heart, saying, The seventh year [is] near, the year of release; and your eye is evil against your needy brother, and you do not give to him, and he has called to YHWH concerning you, and it has been sin in you;

10 You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give unto him: because that for this thing the LORD your God shall bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand unto.

you certainly give to him, and your heart is not sad in your giving to him, for because of this thing your God YHWH blesses you in all your works and in every putting forth of your hand;

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide unto your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.

because the poor does not cease out of the land, therefore I am commanding you, saying, You certainly open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy one in your land.

12 And if your brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto you, and serve you six years; then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.

When your brother is sold to you, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, and he has served you [for] six years, then in the seventh year you send him away free from you.

13 And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty:

And when you send him away free from you, you do not send him away empty;

14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your floor, and out of your winepress: of that wherewith the LORD your God has blessed you you shall give unto him.

you certainly adorn him from your flock, and from your threshing-floor, and from your wine-vat; you give to him [from] that which your God YHWH has blessed you [with],

15 And you shall remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing to day.

and you have remembered that you have been a servant in the land of Egypt, and your God YHWH ransoms you; therefore I am commanding you this thing today.

16 And it shall be, if he say unto you, I will not go away from you; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you;

And it has been, when he says to you, I do not go out from you, because he has loved you and your house, because [it is] good for him with you,

17 Then you shall take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be your servant for ever. And also unto your maidservant you shall do likewise.

then you have taken the awl, and have put [it] through his ear, and through the door, and he has been a perpetual servant to you; and you also do so to your handmaid.

18 It shall not seem hard unto you, when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant to you, in serving you six years: and the LORD your God shall bless you in all that you do.

It is not hard in your eyes in your sending him away free from you; for [his worth has been] double the hire of a hired worker [when] he has served you six years; and your God YHWH has blessed you in all that you do.

19 All the first born males that come of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify unto the LORD your God: you shall do no work with the first born of your bullock, nor shear the first born of your sheep.

Every firstling that is born in your herd and in your flock—you sanctify the male to your God YHWH; you do not work with the firstling of your ox, nor shear the firstling of your flock;

20 You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household.

you eat it before your God YHWH year by year, in the place which YHWH chooses, you and your house.

21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, you shall not sacrifice it unto the LORD your God.

And when there is a blemish in it, [or it is] lame or blind, [or has] any evil blemish, you do not sacrifice it to your God YHWH;

22 You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

you eat it within your gates, the unclean and the clean alike, as the roe and as the deer.

23 Only you shall not eat the blood thereof; you shall pour it upon the ground as water.

Only, you do not eat its blood—you pour it on the earth as water.”