安息年

15 「每逢第七年末,你們要免除他人的債務。 你們要這樣做,所有債主都要免除同胞所欠的債務,不可向他們追討,因為宣佈免除債務的是耶和華。 你們可以向外族人討債,但無論同胞欠你什麼債務,都要免除。 4-5 只要你們聽從你們上帝耶和華的話,謹遵我今天吩咐你們的誡命,祂必使你們在這片祂賜給你們作產業的土地上蒙福,你們中間不會有窮人。 你們的上帝耶和華必照祂的應許賜福給你們,你們必借貸給多國,卻不需要向他們借貸。你們必統治多國,卻不被他們統治。

「在進入你們的上帝耶和華將要賜給你們的土地後,如果你們居住的城中有貧窮的同胞,你們不可硬著心腸拒施援手。 他們所需要的,你們要慷慨地借給他們。 你們要謹慎,不可因為免除債務的第七年將近,就心懷惡念,對貧窮同胞冷眼相待,拒施援手。否則,他會求告耶和華,那時你們便有罪了。 10 你們要慷慨給予,並且無怨無悔,因為耶和華必在你們所做的一切事上賜福給你們。 11 你們居住的地方總會有窮人,所以我吩咐你們要慷慨地幫助貧窮或有需要的同胞。

12 「如果你們的希伯來同胞,不論男女,賣身給你們做奴隸,他們要服侍你們六年,到第七年,你們要給他們自由。 13 你們不可讓他們空手離去, 14 要慷慨地把你們的上帝耶和華賜給你們的羊、五穀和酒分給他們。 15 要記住,你們曾在埃及做奴隸,你們的上帝耶和華拯救了你們。所以,我今天吩咐你們這樣做。 16 如果你們的奴隸因為愛你們和你們的家人,與你們相處融洽,不願意離去, 17 你們就要讓他靠在門上,用錐子在他耳朵上扎個洞,他便終身成為你們的奴隸。對待婢女也要這樣。 18 你們釋放奴隸時,不要不情願,因為他們服侍你們六年,所做的是普通雇工的兩倍。而且,你們的上帝耶和華也會在你們所做的一切事上賜福給你們。

頭生的牛羊

19 「你們要把頭生的公牛和公羊分別出來,獻給你們的上帝耶和華。不可用頭生的公牛耕田,也不要剪頭生公羊的毛。 20 每年,你們全家要去你們的上帝耶和華選定的地方,在祂面前吃這些頭生的牛羊。 21 如果這些牛羊有什麼殘疾,如瘸腿、瞎眼或其他殘疾,就不可獻給你們的上帝耶和華。 22 要在你們的城裡吃這些牛羊。潔淨的人和不潔淨的人都可以吃,就像吃羚羊和鹿一樣。 23 但不可吃牠們的血,要把血倒在地上,像倒水一樣。

'申 命 記 15 ' not found for the version: Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version.

The Sabbatical Year

15 “At the end of (A)every seven years you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord's release has been proclaimed. (B)Of a foreigner you may exact it, but whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. (C)But there will be no poor among you; (D)for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— (E)if only you will strictly obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. For the Lord your God will bless you, (F)as he promised you, and (G)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and (H)you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, (I)you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but (J)you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your (K)eye look grudgingly[a] on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he (L)cry to the Lord against you, and (M)you be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and (N)your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because (O)for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For (P)there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, (Q)‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

12 (R)“If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold[b] to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. 14 You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. (S)As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 (T)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 today. 16 But (U)if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, 17 then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave[c] forever. And to your female slave[d] you shall do the same. 18 It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired worker he has served you six years. So the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.

19 (V)“All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the Lord your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 (W)You shall eat it, you and your household, before the Lord your God year by year at the place that the Lord will choose. 21 (X)But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You shall eat it within your towns. (Y)The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. 23 (Z)Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 15:9 Or be evil; also verse 10
  2. Deuteronomy 15:12 Or sells himself
  3. Deuteronomy 15:17 Or servant; the Hebrew term ‘ebed designates a range of social and economic roles (see Preface)
  4. Deuteronomy 15:17 Or servant

15 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

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.

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give 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 hand wide 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 six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 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 God redeemed 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 away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

19 All the firstling males 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 God year 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 ill blemish, 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.

Chapter 15

Debts and the Poor. At the end of every seven-year period[a] you shall have a remission of debts,(A) and this is the manner of the remission. Creditors shall remit all claims on loans made to a neighbor, not pressing the neighbor, one who is kin, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. You may press a foreigner, but you shall remit the claim on what your kin owes to you.(B) (C)However, since the Lord, your God, will bless you abundantly in the land the Lord, your God, will give you to possess as a heritage, there shall be no one of you in need if you but listen to the voice of the Lord, your God, and carefully observe this entire commandment which I enjoin on you today. Since the Lord, your God, will bless you as he promised, you will lend to many nations, and borrow from none;(D) you will rule over many nations, and none will rule over you.

(E)If one of your kindred is in need in any community in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand against your kin who is in need. Instead, you shall freely open your hand and generously lend what suffices to meet that need.(F) Be careful not to entertain the mean thought, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,” so that you would begrudge your kin who is in need and give nothing, and your kin would cry to the Lord against you and you would be held guilty.(G) 10 When you give, give generously and not with a stingy heart; for that, the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your works and undertakings. 11 The land will never lack for needy persons; that is why I command you: “Open your hand freely to your poor and to your needy kin in your land.”(H)

Hebrew Slaves. 12 (I)If your kin, a Hebrew man or woman, sells himself or herself to you, he or she is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall release him or her as a free person. 13 (J)When you release a male from your service, as a free person, you shall not send him away empty-handed, 14 but shall weigh him down with gifts from your flock and threshing floor and wine press; as the Lord, your God, has blessed you, so you shall give to him. 15 For remember that you too were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the Lord, your God, redeemed you. That is why I am giving you this command today.(K) 16 (L)But if he says to you, “I do not wish to leave you,” because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, 17 you shall take an awl and put it through his ear[b] into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. Your female slave, also, you shall treat in the same way. 18 Do not be reluctant when you let them go free, since the service they have given you for six years was worth twice a hired laborer’s salary; and the Lord, your God, will bless you in everything you do.

Firstlings. 19 (M)You shall consecrate to the Lord, your God, every male firstling born in your herd and in your flock. You shall not work the firstlings of your cattle, nor shear the firstlings of your flock. 20 In the presence of the Lord, your God, you shall eat them year after year, you and your household, in the place that the Lord will choose.(N) 21 (O)But if a firstling has any defect, lameness or blindness, any such serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord, your God, 22 but in your own communities you may eat it, the unclean and the clean eating it together, as you would a gazelle or a deer. 23 Only, you must not eat of its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Footnotes

  1. 15:1 At the end of every seven-year period: in every seventh, or sabbatical, year. Cf. 15:9; 31:10; and compare Jer 34:14 with Dt 15:12. A remission of debts: it is debated whether a full cancellation of debts is meant, or merely a suspension of payment on them or on their interest, but the former is more likely. Cf. Ex 23:11 where the same Hebrew root is used of a field that is “let lie fallow” in the sabbatical year.
  2. 15:17 His ear: cf. Ex 21:6 and note there.