Deuteronomy 15

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

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

2 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;

This is the way of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because YHWH's release has been proclaimed.

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

Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release.

4 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,

However there shall be no poor with you; (for YHWH will surely bless you in the land which YHWH your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it; )

5 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.

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

6 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.

For YHWH your God will bless you, as he promised you: and 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 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;

If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which YHWH your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

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

but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.

9 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;

Be careful lest there be a wicked thought in your 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 to YHWH against you, and it be sin to you.

10 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;

You must surely give to him, and your heart is not to be grieved when you give to him; because for this thing YHWH your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to.

11 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.

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

12 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.

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

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

When you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty:

14 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],

you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress, in proportion as YHWH your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

15 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.

You shall remember that you were a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and YHWH your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today.

16 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,

It shall be, if he tells you, "I will not go out from you"; because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you;

17 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.

then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.

18 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.

It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from you; for to the double of the hire of a hireling has he served you six years: and YHWH your God will bless you in all that you do.

19 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;

All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify to YHWH your God: you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

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

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

21 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;

If it has any blemish, is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to YHWH your God.

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

You shall eat it within your gates: the unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle, and as the deer.

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

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