" aAt the end of every seven
years
you shall 1grant
a remission
of debts.
"This is the manner
of remission
: every
creditor
shall release
what
he has loaned
to his neighbor
; he shall not exact
it of his neighbor
and his brother
, because
the LORD'S
remission
has been proclaimed
.
" aFrom a foreigner you may exact
it, but your hand
shall release
whatever
of yours is with your brother
.
"However, there will be no
poor
among you, since
athe LORD
will surely
bless
you in the land
which
the LORD
your God
is giving
you as an inheritance
to possess
,
if only
you listen
obediently
to the voice
of the LORD
your God
, to observe
carefully
all
this
commandment
which
I am commanding
you today
.
" aFor the LORD 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.
"If there is aa poor
man
with you, one
of your brothers
, in any
of your 1towns
in your land
which
the LORD
your God
is giving
you, byou shall not harden
your heart
, nor
close
your hand
from your poor
brother
;
but ayou shall freely open
your hand
to him, and shall generously
lend
him sufficient
for his need
in whatever
he lacks
.
"Beware that there is no
base
1thought
in your heart
, saying
, ` aThe seventh
year
, the year
of remission
, is near
,' and byour eye
is hostile
toward your poor
brother
, and you give
him nothing
; then he cmay cry
to the LORD
against
you, and it will be a sin
in you.
"You shall generously give
to him, and your heart
shall not be grieved
when you give
to him, because
afor this
thing
the LORD
your God
will bless
you in all
your work
and in all
1your undertakings
.
" aFor the poor will never
cease
to be 1in the land
; therefore
I command
you, saying
, `You shall freely
open
your hand
to your brother
, to your needy
and poor
in your land
.'
" aIf your 1kinsman
, a Hebrew
man
or
woman
, is sold
to you, then he shall serve
you six
years
, but in the seventh
year
you shall set
him 2free
.
"When you set
him 1free
, you shall not send
him away
empty-handed
.
"You shall furnish him liberally
from your flock
and from your threshing
floor
and from your wine
vat
; you shall give
to him as the LORD
your God
has blessed
you.
"You shall remember that you were a slave
in the land
of Egypt
, and the LORD
your God
redeemed
you; therefore
I command
you 1this
today
.
"It shall come about aif
he says
to you, `I will not go
out from you,' because
he loves
you and your household
, since
he fares well
with you;
then you shall take an awl
and pierce
it through his ear
into the door
, and he shall be your servant
forever
. Also
you shall do
likewise
to your maidservant
.
"It shall not seem hard
to you when you set
him 1free
, for he has given
you six
years
with 2double
the service
of a hired
man
; so the LORD
your God
will bless
you in whatever
you do
.
" aYou shall consecrate to the LORD
your God
all
the firstborn
males
that are born
of your herd
and of your flock
; you shall not work
with the firstborn
of your herd
, nor
shear
the firstborn
of your flock
.
" aYou and your household shall eat
it every
year
before
the LORD
your God
in the place
which
the LORD
chooses
.
" aBut if it has
any 1defect
, such as lameness
or
blindness
, or any
serious
1defect
, you shall not sacrifice
it to the LORD
your God
.
"You shall eat it within your gates
; athe unclean
and the clean
alike
may eat it, as aa gazelle
or a deer
.
"Only ayou shall not eat
its blood
; you are to pour
it out on the ground
like water
.