1 A t the end of every seven years, you shall cancel debts.

“At the end of every seven years you must do away with debts that are owed.

2 T his 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.

This is the way you are to do it: Every man who has loaned money must forget the debt. He cannot make his neighbor and his brother pay it because the Lord has said that all should be forgotten.

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

You may make a stranger pay what he owes, but not your brother.

4 H owever 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)

Yet there will be no poor among you for the Lord will be sure to bring good to you in the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.

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

But you must listen and obey the voice of the Lord your God. Be careful to do all the Law which I am telling you today.

6 F or 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.

The Lord your God will bring good to you as He has promised. You will let many nations use what belongs to you but you will not use what belongs to them. You will rule over many nations but they will not rule over you.

7 I f 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;

“In any of the towns in your land the Lord your God is giving you, if there is anyone poor among you, do not let your heart be hard and not be willing to help him.

8 b ut you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks.

Be free to give to him. Let him use what is yours of anything he needs.

9 B eware 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.

Be careful that there is no sinful thought in your heart, saying, ‘It is almost the seventh year, the time to do away with the debt owed to me,’ so you look on your brother with hate and give him nothing. Then he may cry to the Lord against you and you may be guilty of sin.

10 Y ou 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.

Give much to him, without being sorry that you do. Because the Lord your God will bring good to you for this, in all your work and in everything you do.

11 F or 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.

The poor will always be in the land. So I tell you to be free in giving to your brother, to those in need, and to the poor in your land.

12 I f 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 brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he will work for you six years. But you must set him free in the seventh year.

13 W hen you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty.

When you set him free, do not send him away with nothing.

14 Y ou 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.

Give him much from your flock, from your grain, and from your wine. Give to him as the Lord your God has given to you.

15 Y ou 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.

Remember that you were servants in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God set you free. And so I am telling you today to do this.

16 I t 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;

But he may say to you, ‘I will not leave you,’ because he loves you and those of your house and gets along 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 take a sharp tool and put it through his ear into the door. And he will be your servant forever. Do the same with your woman servant.

18 I t 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.

It should not be hard for you to set him free for he has worked for you six years. He has been worth twice as much as a man paid to work for you. The Lord your God will bring good to you in whatever you do.

19 Y ou 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.

“Set apart for the Lord your God all the first-born males among your cattle and your flock. Do no work with the first-born of your cattle. Do not cut the wool from the first-born of your flock.

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

You and those of your house will eat it every year before the Lord your God in the place the Lord chooses.

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

But do not kill it and give it to the Lord your God if it is not perfect, such as not being able to walk or see, or anything else wrong with it.

22 Y ou shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle, and as the deer.

Eat it within your towns. Both the clean and the unclean may eat it, as if it were a gazelle or deer.

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

But do not eat its blood. You must pour it out on the ground like water.