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 A nd this is the manner of the release: everyone who has lent anything to his neighbour, causing him to be in debt, shall release it; he shall not exact it any more of his neighbour or of his brother, because the release of the LORD is proclaimed.

This is the way it shall be done: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not require payment from his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.

3 O f the foreigner thou shalt demand that it be repaid; but that which thy brother has of thine thy hand shall release,

Of a foreigner you may require it; but whatever of yours is with your brother, your hand shall release.

4 s o that thus there shall be no poor among you, for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance to possess it;

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

5 o nly if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep and to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

if only you diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you today.

6 F or when the LORD thy God has blessed thee, as he promised thee, thou shalt lend unto many Gentiles, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many Gentiles, but they shall not rule 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 I f there should be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy towns in thy land which the LORD thy God gives thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine 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 Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;

8 b ut thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that 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 K eep thyself that there not be a thought of Belial in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother to give him nothing; for he shall cry unto the LORD against thee, and it shall be a sin unto thee.

Beware that there not be a base 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 Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.

10 T hou shalt surely give unto him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand to.

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

11 F or the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore, I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto 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, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold unto thee and serves thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt send him forth from thee free.

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 A nd when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not send him away empty.

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

14 T hou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock and out of thy threshing floor and out of thy winepress; of that with which the LORD thy God has blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your wine press. As Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him.

15 A nd thou shalt remember that thou wast a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God ransomed thee; therefore, I command thee this thing to day.

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.

16 A nd it shall be, if he says unto thee, I will not go away from thee because he loves 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 t hen thou shalt take an aul and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy slave for ever. And also unto 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 I t shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away free from thee, for he has served thee for half the cost of a hired servant for 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 value of a hired hand as he served you six years. Yahweh your God will bless you in all that you do.

19 ¶ All the firstborn males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no work with the firstborn of thy bullock nor shear the firstborn of thy sheep.

You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

20 T hou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God each year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.

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

21 A nd if there is any blemish in it, if it is lame or blind or has any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

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

22 T hou 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 O nly thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; 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.