15:1 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
15:2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD’S time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
15:3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you.
15:4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,
15:5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
15:6 For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
15:7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.
15:8 Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.
15:9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
15:10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.
15:11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
15:12 If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free.
15:13 And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed.
15:14 Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you.
15:15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
15:16 But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you,
15:17 then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant.
15:18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because his service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.
15:19 Set apart for the LORD your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your oxen to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.
15:20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose.
15:21 If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.
15:22 You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer.
15:23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
15:1 At the end of every seven years you shall issue a release.
15:2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release from his hand that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it from his neighbor or his brother, for Jehovah’s release has been proclaimed.
15:3 From the foreigner you may exact the debt; but whatever of yours your brother has, your hand shall release.
15:4 However, there shall not be any needy among you (for Jehovah will surely bless you in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess),
15:5 But only if you carefully listen to the voice of Jehovah your God and are certain to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today.
15:6 For Jehovah 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.
15:7 If among you there is a needy one amidst your brothers within any of your gates in your land, which Jehovah your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart and you shall not close up your hand from your needy brother;
15:8 But you must open your hand to him, and you must lend enough for his need in whatever he lacks.
15:9 Be careful that there is not within your heart a base thought like this: The seventh year, the year of release, is near; and your eye be evil against your needy brother and you do not give him anything, and he cry against you to Jehovah, and it become sin to you.
15:10 You must give to him, and your heart shall not be displeased when you give to him; for on account of this matter Jehovah your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.
15:11 For the needy will not cease being in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, You must open your hand to your brother, to the poor one with you and to the needy one with you in your land.
15:12 If your brother, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years; but in the seventh year you shall set him free.
15:13 And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed;
15:14 You must supply him richly from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your winepress; as Jehovah your God has blessed you, so shall you give to him.
15:15 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and that Jehovah your God ransomed you; therefore I am commanding you this thing today.
15:16 And if he says to you, I will not go forth from you, because he loves you and your household, for it goes well with him to be with you;
15:17 Then you shall take an awl and run it through his ear and into the door, and he shall be your servant forever; and thus also shall you do to your female servant.
15:18 You shall not view it as a hardship when you set him free; for he served you for six years, saving you double the wages of a hired hand, and Jehovah your God will bless you in all that you do.
15:19 All firstborn males that are brought forth in your herd and in your flock you shall sanctify to Jehovah your God; you shall not do work with your firstborn ox, nor shall you shear your firstborn sheep.
15:20 You and your household shall eat it before Jehovah your God year by year in the place which Jehovah will choose.
15:21 And if there is a blemish in it, lameness or blindness, any serious blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to Jehovah your God.
15:22 You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it as the gazelle and the deer are eaten.
15:23 However, you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out upon the earth like water.