Tithes

22 Be sure to set aside a tenth(A) of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat(B) the tithe of your grain, new wine(C) and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name,(D) so that you may learn(E) to revere(F) the Lord your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange(G) your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink,(H) or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice.(I) 27 And do not neglect the Levites(J) living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.(K)

28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes(L) of that year’s produce and store it in your towns,(M) 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment(N) or inheritance(O) of their own) and the foreigners,(P) the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied,(Q) and so that the Lord your God may bless(R) you in all the work of your hands.

The Year for Canceling Debts(S)

15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.(T) 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. You may require payment from a foreigner,(U) but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 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(V) you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow(W) all these commands I am giving you today. 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.(X)

If anyone is poor(Y) 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(Z) toward them. Rather, be openhanded(AA) and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(AB) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(AC) 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.(AD) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(AE) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(AF) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(AG) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(AH)

Freeing Servants(AI)(AJ)

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.(AK) 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor(AL) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves(AM) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.(AN) 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.

22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

23 And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.

24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:

25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:

26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:

29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

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.

Tithing Principles

22 (A)“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. 23 (B)And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of (C)the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or (D)if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall (E)rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not [a]forsake the (F)Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.

28 (G)“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the (H)tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Debts Canceled Every Seven Years(I)

15 “At the end of (J)every seven years you shall grant a [b]release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall [c]release it; he shall not [d]require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release. Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except when there may be no poor among you; for the Lord will greatly (K)bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— only if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; (L)you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Generosity to the Poor

“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the [e]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, (M)you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but (N)you shall [f]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your (O)eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and (P)he cry out to the Lord against you, and (Q)it become sin among you. 10 You shall surely give to him, and (R)your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because (S)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 (T)the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall [g]open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

The Law Concerning Bondservants

12 (U)“If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is (V)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 [h]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 (W)blessed you with, you shall give to him. 15 (X)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 (Y)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 (Z)a double hired servant in serving you six years. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 14:27 neglect
  2. Deuteronomy 15:1 remission
  3. Deuteronomy 15:2 cancel the debt
  4. Deuteronomy 15:2 exact it
  5. Deuteronomy 15:7 towns
  6. Deuteronomy 15:8 freely open
  7. Deuteronomy 15:11 freely open
  8. Deuteronomy 15:13 set him free