Deuteronomy 15

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

Every seven years you shall make a release.

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it from his neighbor and his brother, because Jehovah's release has been proclaimed.

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 From a foreigner thou may exact it, but whatever of thine is 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 However there shall be no poor with thee (for Jehovah will surely bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God gives 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 if only thou diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all this commandment 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 Jehovah thy God will bless thee as he promised thee, and thou shall lend to many nations, but thou shall not borrow, and thou shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule 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 be with thee a poor man, one of thy brothers, within any of thy gates in thy land which Jehovah thy God gives thee, thou shall 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 shall surely open thy hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need which he wants.

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 not be a base thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nothing, and he cry to Jehovah against thee, and it 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 shall surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou give to him, because for this thing Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thy work, and in all that thou put 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 will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shall surely open thy hand to thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy poor, 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 If thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to thee, and serves thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shall 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 let him go free from thee, thou shall not let him go empty.

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

14 Thou shall furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor, and out of thy winepress. As Jehovah thy God has blessed thee thou shall 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 shall remember that thou were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God redeemed thee. Therefore I command thee this thing today.

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 says to thee, I will not go out from thee, because he loves 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 shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also to thy maid-servant thou shall 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 let him go free from thee, for he has been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years. And Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all that thou do.

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 are born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shall sanctify to Jehovah thy God. Thou shall 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 shall eat it before Jehovah thy God year by year in the place which Jehovah 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 it has any blemish, as lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, thou shall not sacrifice it to Jehovah 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 shall eat it within thy gates. The unclean man and the clean man alike, as the gazelle, 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 shall not eat the blood of it. Thou shall pour it out upon the ground as water.

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