Deuteronomy 15

The Sabbatical Year

1“1At the endH7093 of every sevenH7651 yearsH8141 you shall 2grantH6213 a releaseH8059 ofH8059 debtsH8059. 2And thisH2088 is the regulationH1697 for the releaseH8059 ofH8059 debtsH8059: everyH3605 creditorH1167H4874H3027 is to forgiveH8058 whatH834 he has loanedH5383 to his neighborH7453; he shall not requireH5065 it of his neighborH7453 and his brotherH251, becauseH3588 the Lord’sH3068 releaseH8059 has been proclaimedH7121. 33From a foreignerH5237 you may requireH5065 it, but your handH3027 shall 4forgiveH8058 whateverH834 of yours is with your brotherH251. 4HoweverH657H3588, there will be noH3808 poorH34 among you, sinceH3588 5the LordH3068 will certainlyH1288 blessH1288 you in the landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you as an inheritanceH5159 to possessH3423, 5ifH518 onlyH7534 you listenH8085 obedientlyH8085 to the voiceH6963 of the LordH3068 your GodH430, to 6followH6213 carefullyH8104 allH3605 thisH2088 commandmentH4687 whichH834 I am commandingH6680 you todayH3117. 67For the LordH3068 your GodH430 will have blessedH1288 you justH3512 asH3512 He has promisedH1696 you, and you will lendH5670 to manyH7227 nationsH1471, but you will not borrowH5670; and you will ruleH4910 over manyH7227 nationsH1471, but they will not ruleH4910 over you.

7“IfH3588 there is 8a poorH34 personH34 among you, oneH259 of your brothersH251, in anyH259 of your 9townsH8179 in your landH776 whichH834 the LordH3068 your GodH430 is givingH5414 you, 10you shall not hardenH553 your heartH3824, norH3808 closeH7092 your handH3027 from your poorH34 brotherH251; 8but 11you shall fullyH6605 openH6605 your handH3027 to him, and generouslyH5670 lendH5670 him enoughH1767 for his needH4270 in whateverH834 he lacksH2637. 9BeH8104 carefulH8104 thatH6435 there is noH6435 mean-spiritedH1100 12thoughtH1697 in your heartH3824, 13suchH559 asH559, ‘14The seventhH7651 yearH8141, the yearH8141 of releaseH8059 ofH8059 debtsH8059, is nearH7126,’ and 15your eyeH5869 isH7489 maliciousH7489 toward your poorH34 brotherH251, and you giveH5414 him nothingH3808; then he 16may cryH7121 outH7121 to the LordH3068 againstH5921 you, and it will be a sinH2399 in you. 10You shall generouslyH5414 giveH5414 to him, and your heartH3824 shall not beH7489 17grudgingH7489 when you giveH5414 to him, becauseH3588H1558 18for thisH2088 thingH1697 the LordH3068 your GodH430 will blessH1288 you in allH3605 your workH4639, and in allH3605 19your undertakingsH3027H4916. 1120For the poorH34 will not ceaseH2308 21to exist in the landH776; thereforeH5921H3651 I am commandingH6680 you, sayingH559, ‘You shall fullyH6605 openH6605 your handH3027 to your brotherH251, to your needyH6041 and poorH34 in your landH776.’

12“22IfH3588 your fellowH251 countrymanH251, a HebrewH5680 manH5680 orH176 womanH5680, is soldH4376 to you, then he shall serveH5647 you for sixH8337 yearsH8141, but in the seventhH7637 yearH8141 you shall setH7971 him 23freeH2670. 13And whenH3588 you setH7971 him 24freeH2670, you shall not sendH7971 him awayH7971 empty-handedH7387. 14You shall giveH6059 generouslyH6059 to him from your flockH6629, your threshingH1637 floorH1637, and from your wineH3342 vatH3342; you shall giveH5414 to him as the LordH3068 your GodH430 has blessedH1288 you. 15And you are to rememberH2142 that you were a slaveH5650 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, and the LordH3068 your GodH430 redeemedH6299 you; thereforeH5921H3651 I am commandingH6680 25thisH2088 of you todayH3117. 16But it shall comeH1961 aboutH1961, 26ifH3588 he saysH559 to you, ‘I will not leaveH3318 you,’ becauseH3588 he lovesH157 you and your householdH1004, sinceH3588 he is doing wellH2895 with you, 17then you shall takeH3947 an 27awlH4836 and pierceH5414 it through his earH241 into the doorH1817, and he shall be your servantH5650 permanentlyH5769. You shall alsoH637 doH6213 the sameH3651 to your femaleH519 slaveH519.

18“It shall not seemH7185 difficultH7185 for you when you setH7971 him 28freeH2670, becauseH3588 he has givenH5647 you sixH8337 yearsH8141 with doubleH4932 the 29serviceH7939 of a hiredH7916 workerH7916; so the LordH3068 your GodH430 will blessH1288 you in whateverH3605H834 you doH6213.

19“30You shall consecrateH6942 to the LordH3068 your GodH430 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 malesH2145 that are bornH3205 in your herdH1241 and in your flockH6629; you shall not workH5647 with the firstbornH1060 of your herdH7794, norH3808 shearH1494 the firstbornH1060 of your flockH6629. 2031You and your householdH1004 shall eatH398 it everyH8141 yearH8141 beforeH6440 the LordH3068 your GodH430 in the placeH4725 whichH834 the LordH3068 choosesH977. 2132But ifH3588 it hasH1961 any impairmentH4140, such as a limpH6455, orH176 blindnessH5787, or anyH3605 seriousH7451 impairmentH4140, you shall not sacrificeH2076 it to the LordH3068 your GodH430. 22You shall eatH398 it within your gatesH8179; 33the uncleanH2931 and the cleanH2889 alikeH3164 may eat it, as 34a gazelleH6643 or a deerH354. 23OnlyH7534 35you shall not eatH398 its bloodH1818; you are to pourH8210 it outH8210 on the groundH776 like waterH4325.