Deuteronomy 15

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

1At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts. That means people no longer owe you what they borrowed.

2And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto 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.

2Here is how it works. Everyone who lent something to a neighbor must let it go. Do not make your neighbor or your brother pay it back. This canceling belongs to God, and he has called for it.

NoteThe old word "release" here means canceling a debt. The lender simply lets the loan go.

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

3You may still ask a foreigner to pay you back. But you must let go of what your own people owe you.

4Save 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:

4Then no one among you will be poor. God will bless you richly in the land he is giving you. That land is yours to keep and to pass on.

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

5This will happen if you listen carefully to God. Be careful to do all the commands I give you today.

6For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

6God will bless you, just as he promised. You will lend to many nations and never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, and none of them will rule you.

7If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

7A poor man may live in one of your towns, in the land God is giving you. He is one of your own people. Do not be hard-hearted. Do not close your hand to him.

8But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

8Instead, open your hand wide to him. Lend him enough for whatever he needs.

NoteIn old English, "want" meant to lack something. The verse is about what a poor person does not have.

9Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

9Be careful not to let a mean thought grow in your heart. You might think, "The seventh year is near, when debts get canceled." Then you might look at your poor brother with a hard face and give him nothing. He will cry out to God about you, and you will be guilty of sin.

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

10Give to him freely. Do not feel unhappy in your heart when you give. Because you do this, God will bless all your work and everything you do.

11For 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.

11There will always be poor people in the land. That is why I give you this command. Open your hand wide to your brother, and to the poor and needy in your land.

12And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

12A fellow Hebrew, man or woman, may be sold to you as a servant. After six years of work, set that person free in the seventh year.

13And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

13When you set your servant free, do not send him away with nothing.

14Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

14Give him plenty from your flock, your grain, and your wine. God has blessed you, so share with him from what you have.

15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

15Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt. God rescued you and brought you out. That is why I give you this command today.

16And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;

16But your servant may say, "I do not want to leave you." He says this because he loves you and your family. He is happy living with you.

17Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

17Then take an awl, a sharp tool for making holes. Push it through his ear into the door. He will be your servant for life. Do the same for a woman servant who wants to stay.

18It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

18Do not think it is unfair to set your servant free. His six years of work were worth twice a hired worker's pay. God will bless you in everything you do.

19All the firstling 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 firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

19Every firstborn male animal from your cows and sheep belongs to God. Set them apart for him. Do not put a firstborn ox to work. Do not cut the wool off a firstborn sheep.

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

20Each year you and your family will eat that animal. Eat it in God's presence, at the place he chooses.

21And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

21Some animals have something wrong with them. They may be lame or blind or badly hurt. Do not offer an animal like that to God.

22Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

22Eat it at home in your own town instead. Anyone in your family may eat it. It is like eating a deer or a gazelle.

Note"Clean" and "unclean" did not mean washed or dirty. They described whether a person was ready to join in worship right then. This verse says both kinds of people could eat this meal.

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

23But you must not eat the blood. Pour it out on the ground like water.