1
At the end of every sevenyears thou shalt make a release.
2
And 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.
3
Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
4Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatlybless thee in the land which the LORD thy Godgiveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
5
Only if thou carefullyhearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6
For the LORD thy Godblesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto manynations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over manynations, but they shall not reign over thee.
7
If there be among you a poorman of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy Godgiveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poorbrother:
8
But thou shalt open thine handwide unto him, and shalt surelylend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
9Beware that there be not a thought in thy wickedheart, saying, The seventhyear, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poorbrother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
10
Thou shalt surelygive 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.
11
For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine handwide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
12
And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee sixyears; then in the seventhyear thou shalt let him gofree from thee.
13
And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go awayempty:
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Thou 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.
15
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy Godredeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
16
And 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;
17
Then 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.
18
It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him awayfree from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in servingtheesixyears: and the LORD thy God shall blessthee in all that thou doest.
19
All the firstlingmales 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.
20
Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy Godyear by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.
21
And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any illblemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.
22
Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.
23
Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.