Deuteronomy 15

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

At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts.

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.

This is the manner of the release: Every creditor will cancel that which he has lent to his neighbor; he will not demand it from his neighbor or his brother because Yahweh's cancellation of debts has been proclaimed.

3 From a foreigner thou may exact it, but whatever of thine is with thy brother, thy hand shall release.

From a foreigner you may demand it; but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand must release.

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),

However, there should be no poor among you (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land that he gives you as an inheritance to possess),

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.

if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep all these commandments that I am commanding you today.

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 Yahweh your God will bless you, as he promised you; you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will 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,

If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land that Yahweh your God is giving you, you must not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

8 but thou shall surely open thy hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need which he wants.

but you must surely open your hand to him and surely lend him sufficient for 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.

Be careful not to have a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is near,' so that you will not be stingy in regard to your poor brother and give him nothing; he might cry out to Yahweh about you, and it would be sin for 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 must surely give to him, and your heart must not be sorry when you give to him, because in return for this Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to.

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 will never cease to exist in the land; therefore I command you and say, 'You must surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in 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.

If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let him go free from you.

13 And when thou let him go free from thee, thou shall not let him go empty.

When you let him go free from you, you must not let him go empty-handed.

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 must liberally provide for him out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you must 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.

You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you today to do this.

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,

It will happen that if he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, and because he is well off 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 must take an awl and thrust it through his ear to a door, and he will be your servant for life. You must do the same with your female servant.

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 must not seem difficult for you to let him go free from you, because he has served you for six years and given twice the value of a hired person. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you 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.

All the firstborn males in your herd and your flock you must set apart to Yahweh your God. You will do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

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

You must eat the firstborn before Yahweh your God year by year in the place that Yahweh will choose, you and your household.

21 And if it has any blemish, as lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, thou shall not sacrifice it to Jehovah thy God.

If it has any blemish—for example, if it is lame or blind, or has any blemish whatever—you must not sacrifice it to Yahweh 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 will eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean persons alike must eat it, as you would eat a gazelle or a deer.

23 Only thou shall not eat the blood of it. Thou shall pour it out upon the ground as water.

Only you must not eat its blood; you must pour its blood out on the ground like water.