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申命記 15
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

安息年

15 「每逢第七年末，你們要免除他人的債務。 2 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。 3 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。 6 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。

7 「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。 8 他們所需要的，你們要慷慨地借給他們。 9 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。

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Deuteronomy 15
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

15 In the seventh year thou shalt make a remission,

2 Which shall be celebrated in this order. He to whom any thing is owing from his friend or neighbour or brother, cannot demand it again, because it is the year of remission of the Lord,

3 Of the foreigner or stranger thou mayst exact it: of thy countryman and neighbour thou shalt not have power to demand it again.

4 And there shall be no poor nor beggar among you: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in the land which he will give thee in possession.

5 Yet so if thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and keep all things that he hath ordained, and which I command thee this day, he will bless thee, as he hath promised.

6 Thou shalt lend to many nations, and thou shalt borrow of no man. Thou shalt have dominion over very many nations, and no one shall have dominion over thee.

7 If one of thy brethren that dwelleth within the gates of thy city in the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, come to poverty: thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor close thy hand,

8 But shalt open it to the poor man, thou shalt lend him, that which thou perceivest he hath need of.

9 Beware lest perhaps a wicked thought steal in upon thee, and thou say in thy heart: The seventh year of remission draweth nigh; and thou turn away thy eyes from thy poor brother, denying to lend him that which he asketh: lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it become a sin unto thee.

10 But thou shalt give to him: neither shalt thou do any thing craftily in relieving his necessities: that the Lord thy God may bless thee at all times, and in all things to which thou shalt put thy hand.

11 There will not be wanting poor in the land of thy habitation: therefore I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor brother, that liveth in the land.

12 When thy brother a Hebrew man, or Hebrew woman is sold to thee, and hath served thee six years, in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free:

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

14 But shalt give him for his way out of thy flocks, and out of thy barnfloor, and thy winepress, wherewith the Lord thy God shall bless thee.

15 Remember that thou also wast a bondservant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God made thee free, and therefore I now command thee this.

16 But if he say: I will not depart: because he loveth thee, and thy house, and findeth that he is well with thee:

17 Thou shalt take an awl, and bore through his ear in the door of thy house, and he shall serve thee for ever: thou shalt do in like manner to thy womanservant also.

18 Turn not away thy eyes from them when thou makest them tree: because he hath served thee six years according to the wages of a hireling: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works that thou dost.

19 Of the firstlings, that come of thy herds and thy sheep, thou shalt sanctify to the Lord thy God whatsoever is of the male sex. Thou shalt not work with the firstling of a bullock, and thou shalt not shear the firstlings of thy sheep.

20 In the sight of the Lord thy God shalt thou eat them every year, in the place that the Lord shall choose, thou and thy house.

21 But if it have a blemish, or be lame, or blind, or in any part disfigured or feeble, it shall not be sacrificed to the Lord thy God.

22 But thou shalt eat it within the gates of thy city: the clean and the unclean shall eat them alike, as the roe and as the hart.

23 Only thou shalt take heed not to eat their blood, but pour it out on the earth as water.

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Deuteronomy 15
New International Version

The Year for Canceling Debts(A)

15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.(B) 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner,(C) but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless(D) you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow(E) all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.(F)

7 If anyone is poor(G) among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted(H) toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded(I) and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(J) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(K) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(L) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(M) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(N) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(O) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(P)

Freeing Servants(Q)(R)

12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.(S) 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor(T) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves(U) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.(V) That is why I give you this command today.

16 But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

The Firstborn Animals

19 Set apart for the Lord(W) your God every firstborn male(X) of your herds and flocks.(Y) Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep.(Z) 20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose.(AA) 21 If an animal has a defect,(AB) is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.(AC) 22 You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer.(AD) 23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.(AE)

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Deuteronomy 15
New English Translation

The Year of Debt Release

15 At the end of every seven years you must declare a cancellation of debts.[a] 2 This is the nature of the cancellation: Every creditor must remit what he has loaned to another person;[b] he must not force payment from his fellow Israelite,[c] for it is to be recognized as “the Lord’s cancellation of debts.” 3 You may exact payment from a foreigner, but whatever your fellow Israelite[d] owes you, you must remit. 4 However, there should not be any poor among you, for the Lord[e] will surely bless[f] you in the land that he[g] is giving you as an inheritance,[h] 5 if you carefully obey[i] him[j] by keeping[k] all these commandments that I am giving[l] you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you just as he has promised; you will lend to many nations but will not borrow from any, and you will rule over many nations but they will not rule over you.

The Spirit of Liberality

7 If a fellow Israelite[m] from one of your villages[n] in the land that the Lord your God is giving you should be poor, you must not harden your heart or be insensitive[o] to his impoverished condition.[p] 8 Instead, you must be sure to open your hand to him and generously lend[q] him whatever he needs.[r] 9 Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude[s] be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite[t] and you do not lend[u] him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be regarded as having sinned.[v] 10 You must by all means lend[w] to him and not be upset by doing it,[x] for because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you attempt. 11 There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open[y] your hand to your fellow Israelites[z] who are needy and poor in your land.

Release of Debt Slaves

12 If your fellow Hebrew[aa]—whether male or female[ab]—is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must let that servant[ac] go free.[ad] 13 If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed. 14 You must supply them generously[ae] from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress—as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them. 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing today. 16 However, if the servant[af] says to you, “I do not want to leave[ag] you,” because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, 17 you shall take an awl and pierce a hole through his ear to the door.[ah] Then he will become your servant permanently (this applies to your female servant as well). 18 You should not consider it difficult to let him go free, for he will have served you for six years, twice[ai] the time of a hired worker; the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

Giving God the Best

19 You must set apart[aj] for the Lord your God every firstborn male born to your herds and flocks. You must not work the firstborn of your bulls or shear the firstborn of your flocks. 20 You and your household must eat them annually before the Lord your God in the place he[ak] chooses. 21 If one of them has any kind of blemish—lameness, blindness, or anything else[al]—you may not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. 22 You may eat it in your villages,[am] whether you are ritually impure or clean,[an] just as you would eat a gazelle or an ibex. 23 However, you must not eat its blood; you must pour it out on the ground like water.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 15:1 tn The Hebrew term שְׁמִטִּת (shemittat), a derivative of the verb שָׁמַט (shamat, “to release; to relinquish”), refers to the cancellation of the debt and even pledges for the debt of a borrower by his creditor. This could be a full and final remission or, more likely, one for the seventh year only. See R. Wakely, NIDOTTE 4:155-60. Here the words “of debts” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied. Cf. NAB “a relaxation of debts”; NASB, NRSV “a remission of debts.”
  2. Deuteronomy 15:2 tn Heb “his neighbor,” used idiomatically to refer to another person.
  3. Deuteronomy 15:2 tn Heb “his neighbor and his brother.” The words “his brother” may be a scribal gloss identifying “his neighbor” (on this idiom, see the preceding note) as a fellow Israelite (cf. v. 3). In this case the conjunction before “his brother” does not introduce a second category, but rather has the force of “that is.”
  4. Deuteronomy 15:3 tn Heb “your brother.”
  5. Deuteronomy 15:4 tc After the phrase “the Lord” many mss and versions add “your God” to complete the usual full epithet.
  6. Deuteronomy 15:4 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “surely.” Note however, that the use is rhetorical, for the next verse attaches a condition.
  7. Deuteronomy 15:4 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  8. Deuteronomy 15:4 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess.”
  9. Deuteronomy 15:5 tn Heb “if listening you listen to the voice of.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “carefully.” The idiom “listen to the voice” means “obey.”
  10. Deuteronomy 15:5 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 15:4.
  11. Deuteronomy 15:5 tn Heb “by being careful to do.”
  12. Deuteronomy 15:5 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB); NAB “which I enjoin you today.”
  13. Deuteronomy 15:7 tn Heb “one of your brothers” (so NASB); NAB “one of your kinsmen”; NRSV “a member of your community.” See the note at v. 2.
  14. Deuteronomy 15:7 tn Heb “gates.”
  15. Deuteronomy 15:7 tn Heb “withdraw your hand.” Cf. NIV “hardhearted or tightfisted” (NRSV and NLT similar).
  16. Deuteronomy 15:7 tn Heb “from your needy brother.”
  17. Deuteronomy 15:8 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before both verbs. The translation indicates the emphasis with the words “be sure to” and “generously,” respectively.
  18. Deuteronomy 15:8 tn Heb “whatever his need that he needs for himself.” This redundant expression has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  19. Deuteronomy 15:9 tn Heb “your eye.”
  20. Deuteronomy 15:9 tn Heb “your needy brother.”
  21. Deuteronomy 15:9 tn Heb “give” (likewise in v. 10).
  22. Deuteronomy 15:9 tn Heb “it will be a sin to you.”
  23. Deuteronomy 15:10 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “by all means.”
  24. Deuteronomy 15:10 tc Heb “your heart must not be grieved in giving to him.” The LXX and Orig add, “you shall surely lend to him sufficient for his need,” a suggestion based on the same basic idea in v. 8. Such slavish adherence to stock phrases is without warrant in most cases, and certainly here.
  25. Deuteronomy 15:11 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “make sure.”
  26. Deuteronomy 15:11 tn Heb “your brother.”
  27. Deuteronomy 15:12 sn Elsewhere in the OT, the Israelites are called “Hebrews” (עִבְרִי, ʿivri) by outsiders, rarely by themselves (cf. Gen 14:13; 39:14, 17; 41:12; Exod 1:15, 16, 19; 2:6, 7, 11, 13; 1 Sam 4:6; Jonah 1:9). Thus, here and in the parallel passage in Exod 21:2-6 the term עִבְרִי may designate non-Israelites, specifically a people well-known throughout the ancient Near East as ʾapiru or habiru. They lived a rather vagabond lifestyle, frequently hiring themselves out as laborers or mercenary soldiers. While accounting nicely for the surprising use of the term here in an Israelite law code, the suggestion has against it the unlikelihood that a set of laws would address such a marginal people so specifically (as opposed to simply calling them aliens or the like). More likely עִבְרִי is chosen as a term to remind Israel that when they were “Hebrews,” that is, when they were in Egypt, they were slaves. Now that they are free they must not keep their fellow Israelites in economic bondage. See v. 15.
  28. Deuteronomy 15:12 tn Heb “your brother, a Hebrew (male) or Hebrew (female).”
  29. Deuteronomy 15:12 tn Heb “him.” The singular pronoun occurs throughout the passage.
  30. Deuteronomy 15:12 tn The Hebrew text includes “from you.”
  31. Deuteronomy 15:14 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “generously.”
  32. Deuteronomy 15:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the indentured servant introduced in v. 12) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  33. Deuteronomy 15:16 tn Heb “go out from.” The imperfect verbal form indicates the desire of the subject here.
  34. Deuteronomy 15:17 sn When the bondslave’s ear was drilled through to the door, the door in question was that of the master’s house. In effect, the bondslave is declaring his undying and lifelong loyalty to his creditor. The scar (or even hole) in the earlobe would testify to the community that the slave had surrendered independence and personal rights. This may be what Paul had in mind when he said “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17).
  35. Deuteronomy 15:18 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁנֶה (mishneh, “twice”) could mean “equivalent to” (cf. NRSV) or, more likely, “double” (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). The idea is that a hired worker would put in only so many hours per day whereas a bondslave was available around the clock.
  36. Deuteronomy 15:19 tn Heb “sanctify” (תַּקְדִּישׁ, taqdish), that is, put to use on behalf of the Lord.
  37. Deuteronomy 15:20 tn Heb “the Lord.” The translation uses a pronoun for stylistic reasons. See note on “he” in 15:4.
  38. Deuteronomy 15:21 tn Heb “any evil blemish”; NASB “any (+ other NAB, TEV) serious defect.”
  39. Deuteronomy 15:22 tn Heb “in your gates.”
  40. Deuteronomy 15:22 tc The LXX adds ἐν σοί (en soi, “among you”) to make clear that the antecedent is the people and not the animals. That is, the people, whether ritually purified or not, may eat such defective animals.
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