Deuteronomy 15

1 At the terme of seuen yeeres thou shalt make a freedome.

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

2 And this is the maner of the freedome: euery creditour shall quite ye lone of his hand which he hath lent to his neighbour: he shall not aske it againe of his neighbour, nor of his brother: for the yeere of the Lords freedome is proclaimed.

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release the loan which he hath lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because the release year in honor of the Lord hath been proclaimed.

3 Of a stranger thou mayest require it: but that which thou hast with thy brother, thine hand shall remit:

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [payment]; but that which is thine with thy brother shall thy hand release.

4 Saue when there shall be no poore with thee: for the Lord shall blesse thee in the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, for an inheritance to possesse it:

Although indeed there should be no needy man among thee; for the Lord will greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

5 So that thou hearken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God to obserue and doe all these commandements, which I commande thee this day.

Yet only if thou wilt carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command thee this day.

6 For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee, as he hath promised thee: and thou shalt lend vnto many nations, but thou thy selfe shalt not borow, and thou shalt reigne ouer many nations, and they shall not reigne ouer thee.

For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he hath spoken unto thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but over thee shall they not rule.

7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother:

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

8 But thou shalt open thine hand vnto him, and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath.

But thou shalt open wide thy hand unto him, and thou shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, which his want requireth.

9 Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thine heart, to say, The seuenth yeere, the yeere of freedome is at hand: therefore it grieueth thee to looke on thy poore brother, and thou giuest him nought, and he crie vnto the Lord against thee, so that sinne be in thee:

Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thy eye be thus evil against thy needy brother, so that thou wouldst give him nought; and if he cry concerning thee unto the Lord, it will be sin in thee:

10 Thou shalt giue him, and let it not grieue thine heart to giue vnto him: for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in al thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand to.

Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him; for because of this thing the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy work, and in all the acquisition of thy hand.

11 Because there shall be euer some poore in the land, therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother, to thy needie, and to thy poore in thy land.

For the needy will not cease out of the land; therefore do I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open wide thy hand unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

12 If thy brother an Ebrewe sell himselfe to thee, or an Ebrewesse, and serue thee sixe yeere, euen in the seuenth yeere thou shalt let him goe free from thee:

If thy brother, the Hebrew, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, he shall serve thee six years; and in the seventh year shalt thou let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him goe away emptie,

And when thou lettest him go out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 But shalt giue him a liberall reward of thy sheepe, and of thy corne, and of thy wine: thou shalt giue him of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.

Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flocks, and out of thy threshing-floor, and out of thy wine-press; wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee, that shalt thou give unto him.

15 And remember that thou wast a seruant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God deliuered thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

And thou shalt remember that thou hast been a bond-man in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God hath redeemed thee; therefore do I command thee this thing today.

16 And if he say vnto thee, I will not go away from thee, because he loueth thee and thine house, and because he is well with thee,

And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thy house, because he is well with thee:

17 Then shalt thou take a naule, and perce his eare through against the doore, and he shall be thy seruant for euer: and vnto thy maid seruant thou shall doe likewise.

Then shalt thou take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be unto thee a servant for ever; and also unto thy maid-servant shalt thou do likewise.

18 Let it not grieue thee, when thou lettest him goe out free from thee: for he hath serued thee sixe yeeres, which is the double worth of an hired seruant: and the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all that thou doest.

It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee, that for double the wages of a hired laborer hath he served thee six years; and the Lord thy God will bless thee in all that thou doest.

19 All the first borne males that come of thy cattell, and of thy sheepe, thou shalt sanctifie vnto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt do no worke with thy first borne bullocke, nor sheare thy first borne sheepe.

All the first-born males that come of thy herds and of thy flocks shalt thou sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the first-born of thy bullock, and not shear the first-born of thy sheep.

20 Thou shalt eate it before the Lord thy God yeere by yeere, in the place which the Lord shall chose, both thou, and thine household.

Before the Lord thy God shalt thou eat it year by year, in the place which the Lord will choose, thou with thy household.

21 But if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or haue any euill fault, thou shalt not offer it vnto the Lord thy God,

And if there be any blemish thereon, if it be lame, or blind, or have any [other] ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy God.

22 But shalt eate it within thy gates: the vncleane, and the cleane shall eate it alike, as the roe bucke, and as the hart.

Within thy gates shalt thou eat it, the unclean and the clean together, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

23 Onely thou shalt not eate the blood thereof, but powre it vpon the ground as water.

Only the blood thereof shalt thou not eat: upon the ground shalt thou pour it out as water.