Deuteronomy 15

1`At the end of seven years thou dost make a release,

1In the seventh year thou shalt make a remission,

2and this <FI>is<Fi> the matter of the release: Every owner of a loan <FI>is<Fi> to release his hand which he doth lift up against his neighbour, he doth not exact of his neighbour and of his brother, but hath proclaimed a release to Jehovah;

2Which shall be celebrated in this order. He to whom any thing is owing from his friend or neighbour or brother, cannot demand it again, because it is the year of remission of the Lord.

3of the stranger thou mayest exact, and that which is thine with thy brother doth thy hand release;

3Of the foreigner or stranger thou mayst exact it: of thy countryman and neighbour thou shalt not have power to demand it again.

4only when there is no needy one with thee, for Jehovah doth greatly bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee--an inheritance to possess it.

4And there shall be no poor nor beggar among you: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in the land which he will give thee in possession.

5`Only, if thou dost diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all this command which I am commanding thee to-day,

5Yet so if thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and keep all things that he hath ordained, and which I command thee this day, he will bless thee, as he hath promised.

6for Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee as He hath spoken to thee; and thou hast lent <FI>to<Fi> many nations, and thou hast not borrowed; and thou hast ruled over many nations, and over thee they do not rule.

6Thou shalt lend to many nations, and thou shalt borrow of no man. Thou shalt have dominion over very many nations, and no one shall have dominion over thee.

7`When there is with thee any needy one of one of thy brethren, in one of thy cities, in thy land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy needy brother;

7If one of thy brethren that dwelleth within thy gates of thy city in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, come to poverty: thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor close thy hand,

8for thou dost certainly open thy hand to him, and dost certainly lend him sufficient for his lack which he lacketh.

8But shalt open it to the poor man, thou shalt lend him, that which thou perceivest he hath need of.

9`Take heed to thee lest there be a word in thy heart--worthless, saying, Near <FI>is<Fi> the seventh year, the year of release; and thine eye is evil against thy needy brother, and thou dost not give to him, and he hath called concerning thee unto Jehovah, and it hath been in thee sin;

9Beware lest perhaps a wicked thought steal in upon thee, and thou say in thy heart: The seventh year of remission draweth nigh; and thou turn away thy eyes from thy poor brother, denying to lend him that which he asketh: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it become a sin unto thee.

10thou dost certainly give to him, and thy heart is not sad in thy giving to him, for because of this thing doth Jehovah thy God bless thee in all thy works, and in every putting forth of thy hand;

10But thou shalt give to him: neither shalt thou do any thing craftily in relieving his necessities: that the Lord thy God may bless thee at all times, and in all things to which thou shalt put thy hand.

11because the needy one doth not cease out of the land, therefore I am commanding thee, saying, Thou dost certainly open thy hand to thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy one, in thy land.

11There will not be wanting poor in the land of thy habitation: therefore I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor brother, that liveth in the land.

12`When thy brother is sold to thee, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, and he hath served thee six years--then in the seventh year thou dost send him away free from thee.

12When thy brother a Hebrew man, or Hebrew woman is sold to thee, and hath served thee six years, in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free:

13And when thou dost send him away free from thee, thou dost not send him away empty;

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

14thou dost certainly encircle him out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor, and out of thy wine-vat; <FI>of<Fi> that which Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee thou dost give to him,

14But shall give him for his way out of thy flocks, and out of thy barnfloor, and thy winepress, wherewith the Lord thy God shall bless thee.

15and thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God doth ransom thee; therefore I am commanding thee this thing to-day.

15Remember that thou also wast a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God made thee free, and therefore I now command thee this.

16`And it hath been, when he saith unto thee, I go not out from thee--because he hath loved thee, and thy house, because <FI>it is<Fi> good for him with thee--

16But if he say: I will not depart: because he loveth thee, and thy house, and findeth that he is well with thee:

17then thou hast taken the awl, and hast put <FI>it<Fi> through his ear, and through the door, and he hath been to thee a servant age-during; and also to thy handmaid thou dost do so.

17Thou shalt take an awl, and bore through his ear in the door of thy house, and he shall serve thee for ever: thou shalt do in like manner to thy womanservant also.

18`It is not hard in thine eyes, in thy sending him away free from thee; for the double of the hire of an hireling he hath served thee six years, and Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee in all that thou dost.

18Turn not away thy eyes from them when thou makest them free: because he hath served thee six years according to the wages of a hireling: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works that thou dost.

19`Every firstling that is born in thy herd and in thy flock--the male thou dost sanctify to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not work with the firstling of thine ox, nor shear the firstling of thy flock;

19Of the firstlings, that come of thy herds and thy sheep, thou shalt sanctify to the Lord thy God whatsoever is of the male sex. Thou shalt not work with the firstling of a bullock, and thou shalt not shear the firstlings of thy sheep.

20before Jehovah thy God thou dost eat it year by year, in the place which Jehovah doth choose, thou and thy house.

20In the sight of the Lord thy God shalt thou eat them every year, in the place that the Lord shall choose, thou and thy house.

21`And when there is in it a blemish, lame, or blind, any evil blemish, thou dost not sacrifice it to Jehovah thy God;

21But if it have a blemish, or be lame, or blind, or in any part disfigured or feeble, it shall not be sacrificed to the Lord thy God.

22within thy gates thou dost eat it, the unclean and the clean alike, as the roe, and as the hart.

22But thou shalt eat it within the gates of thy city: the clean and the unclean shall eat them alike, as the roe and as the hart.

23Only, its blood thou dost not eat; on the earth thou dost pour it as water.

23Only thou shalt take heed not to eat their blood, but pour it out on the earth as water.