Deuteronomy 15

1 “At the end of seven years you will make a release, 2 and this will be the matter of the release: every owner of a loan will to release his hand which he lifts up against his neighbor, he will not exact of his neighbor and of his brother, but proclaim a release to YHWH. 3 Of the stranger you may exact, but that which is yours with your brother your hand releases, 4 except there will be an end when no poor are with you. For YHWH greatly blesses you in the land which your God YHWH has given to you for an inheritance to possess it, 5 only if you listen diligently to the voice of your God YHWH, to observe to do all this commands which I am commanding you today. 6 For your God YHWH has blessed you as He has spoken to 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. 7 When there is with you any poor of one of your brothers, in one of your cities, in your land which your God YHWH is giving to you, you will not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother. 8 For you will certainly open your hand to him, and will certainly lend him sufficiency for his lack which he lacks. 9 Take heed to yourself lest there be a worthless word in your heart, saying, The seventh year is near, the year of release. And your eye is evil against your needy brother, and you do not give to him, and he has called to YHWH concerning you, and it has been sin in you. 10 You will certainly give to him, and your heart will not be sad in your giving to him, for because of this thing your God YHWH blesses you in all your works and in every putting out of your hand. 11 Because the poor will not cease out of the land, therefore I am commanding you, saying, You will certainly open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy one in your land. 12 When your brother is sold to you, a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, and he has served you for six years, then in the seventh year you will send him away free from you. 13 And when you send him away free from you, you will not send him away empty. 14 You will certainly adorn him from your flock, and from your threshing-floor, and from your wine-vat. You will give to him from that which your God YHWH has blessed you with, 15 and you will remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and your God YHWH ransomed you. Therefore I am commanding you this thing today. 16 And it will be, when he says to you, I will not go out from you, because he loves you and your house, because it is good for him with you, 17 then you will take the awl, and put it through his ear, and through the door, and he will be a perpetual servant to you. And you also will do so to your handmaid. 18 It will not be hard in your eyes in your sending him away free from you. For his worth has been double the hire of a hired worker when he has served you six years. And your God YHWH will bless you in all that you do. 19 Every firstling that is born in your herd and in your flock—you will sanctify the male to your God YHWH. You will not work with the firstling of your ox, nor shear the firstling of your flock. 20 You will eat it before your God YHWH year by year, in the place which YHWH chose, you and your house. 21 And when there is a blemish in it, or it is lame or blind, or has any evil blemish, you will not sacrifice it to your God YHWH. 22 You will eat it within your gates, the unclean and the clean alike, as the roe and as the deer. 23 Only, you will not eat its blood—you will pour it on the earth as water.”


Next: Chapter 16

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