Deuteronomy 15

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

At the end of every seven years, you shall 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 way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbour. He shall not require payment from his neighbour and his brother, because the LORD’s release has been proclaimed.

3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thy hand shall release;

Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall 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 will be no poor with you (for the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for 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 LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command 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 the LORD 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 a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall 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 shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.

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.

Beware that there not 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 the LORD against you, and it be sin to 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 shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing the LORD 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 out of the land. Therefore I command you to 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 six years, then in the seventh year you shall 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 shall not let him go empty.

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 shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall 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 shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.

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 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 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 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 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 shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for he has been double the value of a hired hand as he served you six years. The LORD 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.

You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to the LORD your God. You shall 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 shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD shall 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 defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD 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 shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer.

23 Only thou shalt not eat its blood; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.