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Deuteronomy 15
Revised Geneva Translation
Deuteronomy 15
Revised Geneva Translation
15 “At the term of seven years, you shall make a release.
2 “And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall cancel the loan of his hand which he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not ask for it again from his neighbor, nor from his brother. For the LORD’s release is proclaimed.
3 “You may require it from a stranger. But that which you have with your brother, your hand shall release,
4 “except when there shall be no poor with you. For the LORD shall bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, to possess it,
5 “so that you obey the Voice of the LORD your God, to observe and do all these Commandments which I command you this day.
6 “For the LORD your God has blessed you, as He has promised you. And you shall lend to many nations. But you yourself shall not borrow. And you shall reign over many nations. And they shall not reign over you.
7 “If one of your brothers with you is poor—within any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you—you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
8 “But you shall open your hand to him and shall sufficiently lend to him for his need which he has.
9 “Beware that there is not a wicked thought in your heart, to say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand’, and it grieves you to look on your poor brother. And you give him nothing. And he cries to the LORD against you, so that sin is in you.
10 “You shall give to him. And do not let it grieve your heart to give to him. For because of this the LORD your God shall bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.
11 “Because there shall always be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor in your land.’
12 “If your brother (a Hebrew man) sells himself to you, or a Hebrew woman, and serves you six years, in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you.
13 “And when you send him out free from you, you shalt not let him go away empty.
14 “You shall give him a liberal reward from your sheep and from your corn and from your wine. You shall give to him from that with which the LORD your God has blessed you.
15 “And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God delivered you. Therefore, I command you this thing today.
16 “And if he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you’, because he loves you and your house and because he does well with you,
17 “then you shall take an awl and pierce his ear through, against the door. And he shall be your servant forever. And you shall do likewise to your maid servant.
18 “Let it not grieve you when you let him go out free from you. For he has served you six years, the double worth of a hired servant, and the LORD your God shall bless you in all that you do.
19 “All the firstborn males that come from your cattle and from your sheep, you shall sanctify to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with your firstborn bullock or shear your firstborn sheep.
20 “You shall eat it before the LORD your God, year by year, in the place which the LORD shall choose, you and your household.
21 “But, if there is any blemish in it (it is lame or blind or has any serious fault), you shall not offer it to the LORD your God,
22 “You shall eat it within your gates, both the unclean and the clean, just as the gazelle and as the deer.
23 “Only, you shall not drink its blood. Poor it upon the ground, as water.”
Deuteronomy 15
Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 15
Christian Standard Bible
Debts Canceled
15 “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.(A) 2 This is how to cancel debt: Every creditor[a] is to cancel what he has lent his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the Lord’s release of debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
4 “There will be no poor among you, however, because the Lord is certain to bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance(B)— 5 if only you obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow every one of these commands I am giving you today. 6 When the Lord your God blesses you as he has promised you, you will lend to many nations but not borrow; you will rule many nations, but they will not rule you.
Lending to the Poor
7 “If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your city gates in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. 9 Be careful that there isn’t this wicked thought in your heart, ‘The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,’ and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty. 10 Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart[b] when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.[c] 11 For there will never cease to be poor people in the land;(C) that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’
Release of Slaves
12 “If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.(D) 13 When you set him free, do not send him away empty-handed. 14 Give generously to him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You are to give him whatever the Lord your God has blessed you with. 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed(E) you; that is why I am giving you this command today.(F) 16 But if your slave says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and is well off with you, 17 take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave for life. Also treat your female slave the same way. 18 Do not regard it as a hardship[d] when you set him free, because he worked for you six years—worth twice the wages of a hired worker. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.(G)
Consecration of Firstborn Animals
19 “Consecrate to the Lord your God every firstborn male produced by your herd and flock.(H) You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work or shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 Each year you and your family are to eat it before the Lord your God in the place the Lord chooses. 21 But if there is a defect in the animal, if it is lame or blind or has any serious defect, you may not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 Eat it within your city gates; both the unclean person and the clean may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or deer. 23 But you must not eat its blood; pour it on the ground like water.(I)
Deuteronomy 15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Deuteronomy 15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 15
Debts and the Poor. 1 At the end of every seven-year period[a] you shall have a remission of debts,(A) 2 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. 3 You may press a foreigner, but you shall remit the claim on what your kin owes to you.(B) 4 (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 5 if you but listen to the voice of the Lord, your God, and carefully observe this entire commandment which I enjoin on you today. 6 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.
7 (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. 8 Instead, you shall freely open your hand and generously lend what suffices to meet that need.(F) 9 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
- 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.
- 15:17 His ear: cf. Ex 21:6 and note there.
Deuteronomy 15
New International Version
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)
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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