Deuteronomy 15

1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt 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 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.

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 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine 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 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:

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 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.

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 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 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 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:

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

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

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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

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

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 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 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.

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 shall say to thee, I will not leave thee; because he loveth 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD 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 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.

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 shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, 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 shalt not eat its blood; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

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