1 “ At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts.

“ At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.

2 A nd this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord ’s release.

This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed.

3 O f a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother,

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

4 e xcept when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—

However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

5 o nly if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.

if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.

6 F or the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you. Generosity to the Poor

For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 “ If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,

“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;

8 b ut you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.

but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

9 B eware 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 out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.

Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘ The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you.

10 Y ou shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.

You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.

11 F or the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’ The Law Concerning Bondservants

For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’

12 “ 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.

“ If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free.

13 A nd when you send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed;

When you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.

14 y ou shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has blessed you with, you shall give to him.

You shall furnish him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.

15 Y ou 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.

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 today.

16 A nd if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you,

It shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you;

17 t hen 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.

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

18 I t shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do. The Law Concerning Firstborn Animals

“It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man; so the Lord your God will bless you in whatever you do.

19 “ All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

“ You shall consecrate to the Lord your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

20 Y ou and your household shall eat it before the Lord your God year by year in the place which the Lord chooses.

You and your household shall eat it every year before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses.

21 B ut if there is a defect in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.

But if it has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.

22 Y ou may eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or a deer.

You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as a gazelle or a deer.

23 O nly you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground like water.

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