דברים 15

1 מִקֵּץ שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה שְׁמִטָּֽה׃

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

2 וְזֶה דְּבַר הַשְּׁמִטָּה שָׁמוֹט כׇּל־בַּעַל מַשֵּׁה יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַשֶּׁה בְּרֵעֵהוּ לֹֽא־יִגֹּשׂ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת־אָחִיו כִּֽי־קָרָא שְׁמִטָּה לַיהֹוָֽה׃

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 אֶת־הַנׇּכְרִי תִּגֹּשׂ וַאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֶת־אָחִיךָ תַּשְׁמֵט יָדֶֽךָ׃

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

4 אֶפֶס כִּי לֹא יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ אֶבְיוֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ יְהֹוָה בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

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 רַק אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּֽוֹם׃

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

6 כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בֵּֽרַכְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לָךְ וְהַֽעֲבַטְתָּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאַתָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹט וּמָֽשַׁלְתָּ בְּגוֹיִם רַבִּים וּבְךָ לֹא יִמְשֹֽׁלוּ׃

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 כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת־יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

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 כִּֽי־פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לֽוֹ׃

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

9 הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם־לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָֽרְבָה שְׁנַֽת־הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵֽינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָֽאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ וְקָרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵֽטְא׃

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 נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ כִּי בִּגְלַל ׀ הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכׇֽל־מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶֽךָ׃

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 כִּי לֹא־יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ לֵאמֹר פָּתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת־יָדְךָ לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃

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 כִּֽי־יִמָּכֵר לְךָ אָחִיךָ הָֽעִבְרִי אוֹ הָֽעִבְרִיָּה וַעֲבָֽדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת תְּשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ חׇפְשִׁי מֵעִמָּֽךְ׃

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 וְכִֽי־תְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ חׇפְשִׁי מֵֽעִמָּךְ לֹא תְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ רֵיקָֽם׃

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

14 הַעֲנֵיק תַּעֲנִיק לוֹ מִצֹּאנְךָ וּמִֽגׇּרְנְךָ וּמִיִּקְבֶךָ אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּתֶּן־לֽוֹ׃

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 וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל־כֵּן אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הַיּֽוֹם׃

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 וְהָיָה כִּֽי־יֹאמַר אֵלֶיךָ לֹא אֵצֵא מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אֲהֵֽבְךָ וְאֶת־בֵּיתֶךָ כִּי־טוֹב לוֹ עִמָּֽךְ׃

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 וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת־הַמַּרְצֵעַ וְנָתַתָּה בְאׇזְנוֹ וּבַדֶּלֶת וְהָיָה לְךָ עֶבֶד עוֹלָם וְאַף לַאֲמָתְךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה־כֵּֽן׃

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 לֹא־יִקְשֶׁה בְעֵינֶךָ בְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ אֹתוֹ חׇפְשִׁי מֵֽעִמָּךְ כִּי מִשְׁנֶה שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר עֲבָֽדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וּבֵֽרַכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

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 כׇּֽל־הַבְּכוֹר אֲשֶׁר יִוָּלֵד בִּבְקָרְךָ וּבְצֹֽאנְךָ הַזָּכָר תַּקְדִּישׁ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲבֹד בִּבְכֹר שׁוֹרֶךָ וְלֹא תָגֹז בְּכוֹר צֹאנֶֽךָ׃

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 לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תֹאכְלֶנּוּ שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר יְהֹוָה אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶֽךָ׃

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

21 וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם פִּסֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר כֹּל מוּם רָע לֹא תִזְבָּחֶנּוּ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

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 בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תֹּאכְלֶנּוּ הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר יַחְדָּו כַּצְּבִי וְכָאַיָּֽל׃

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 רַק אֶת־דָּמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵל עַל־הָאָרֶץ תִּשְׁפְּכֶנּוּ כַּמָּֽיִם׃

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