Deuteronomy 15:7-18

New King James Version

Generosity to the Poor

⁷ “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the ^[a]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, ^(A)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, ⁸ but ^(B)you shall ^[b]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. ⁹ Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your ^(C)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and ^(D)he cry out to the Lord against you, and ^(E)it become sin among you. ¹⁰ You shall surely give to him, and ^(F)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because ^(G)for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. ¹¹ For ^(H)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall ^[c]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

The Law Concerning Bondservants

^12 (I)“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is ^(J)sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. ¹³ And when you ^[d]send him away free from you, you shall not let him go away empty-handed; ¹⁴ you shall supply him liberally from your flock, from your threshing floor, and from your winepress. From what the Lord your God has ^(K)blessed you with, you shall give to him. ^15 (L)You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today. ¹⁶ And ^(M)if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, ¹⁷ then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise. ¹⁸ It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you; for he has been worth ^(N)a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.