Deuteronomy 15

1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

Every seven years you shall make a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth any thing to 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 ordinance of the release: you shall remit every private debt which your neighbour owes you, and you shall not ask payment of it from your brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord your God.

3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release;

Of a stranger you shall ask again whatever he has of your, but to your brother you shall remit his debt to you.

4 Except when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

For [thus] there shall not be a poor person in the midst of you, for the Lord your God will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you by inheritance, that you should inherit it.

5 Only if thou shalt carefully hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

And if you shall indeed listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all these commandments, as many as I charge you this day,

6 For the LORD thy God shall bless thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend to many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

(for the Lord your God has blessed you in the way of which he spoke to you, ) then you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

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

And if there shall be in the midst of you a poor [man] of your brethren in one of your cities in the land, which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, neither shall you by any means close up your hand from your brother who is in lack.

8 But thou shalt open thy hand wide to him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he lacketh.

You shall surely open your hands to him, and shall lend to him as much as he wants according to his need.

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

Take heed to yourself that there be not a secret thing in your heart, an iniquity, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, draws near; and your eye shall be evil to your brother that is in lack, and you shall not give to him, and he shall cry against you to the Lord, and there shall be great sin in you.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand to.

You shall surely give to him, and you shall lend him as much as he wants, according as he is in need; and you shall not grudge in your heart as you give to him, because on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your works, and in all things on which you shall lay your hand.

11 For the poor shall never cease from the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thy hand wide to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

For the poor shall not fail off your land, therefore I charge you to do this thing, saying, You shall surely open your hands to your poor brother, and to him that is distressed upon your land.

12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

And if your brother [or sister], a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, be sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall send him out free from you.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him depart empty:

And when you shall send him out free from you, you shall not send him out empty.

14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that which the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give to him.

You shall give him provision for the way from your flock, and from your corn, and from your wine; as the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing this day.

And you shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from thence; therefore I charge you to do this thing.

16 And it shall be, if he shall say to thee, I will not leave thee; because he loveth thee and thy house, because he is well with thee;

And if he should say to you, I will not go out from you, because he continues to love you and your house, because he is well with you;

17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear into the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also to thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

then you shall take an awl, and bore his ear through to the door, and he shall be your servant for ever; and in like manner shall you do to your maidservant.

18 It shall not seem hard to thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been of double the worth of a hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

It shall not seem hard to you when they are sent out free from you, because [your servant] has served you six years according to the annual hire of a hireling; so the Lord your God shall bless you in all things whatever you may do.

19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy herd, nor shear the firstling of thy flock.

Every firstborn that shall be born amongst your kine and your sheep, you shall sanctify the males to the Lord your God; you shall not work with your firstborn calf, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your sheep.

20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.

You shall eat it before the Lord year by year in the place which the Lord your God shall choose, you and your house.

21 And if there is any blemish in it, as if it is lame, or blind, or hath any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it to the LORD thy God.

And if there be in it a blemish, if it be lame or blind, an evil blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.

22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

You shall eat it in your cities; the unclean in you and the clean shall eat it in like manner, as the doe or the stag.

23 Only thou shalt not eat its blood; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth as water.