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The Lord’s Remission

15 “You must cancel your debts at the end of every seventh year. This is the way to conduct remission: every creditor must cancel the loan that his friend borrowed, and he must not pressure his friend or brother to repay it,[a] because remission to the Lord will be proclaimed. You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel whatever your brother owes you. Moreover, there will be no poor person among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land that he[b] is about to give you to possess. Only be certain to obey the voice of the Lord your God. Carefully observe all of these commands that I’m commanding you today, because the Lord your God will bless you just as he promised. You are to lend to many nations, but not to borrow. Also, you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.”

Care for the Poor

“If there should be a poor man among your relatives[c] in one of the cities of the land that the Lord your God is about to give you, don’t be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor relative.[d] Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need. Be careful not to think this wicked thought to yourselves: ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is drawing near…’ and you show ill will[e] toward your poor relative[f] and not give to him. He may then call to the Lord on account of you, and you will be guilty of sin. 10 You must certainly give to him and not feel regret for doing so.[g] Because of this, the Lord your God will bless all your works and everything you do. 11 Since poor people won’t cease to exist in the land, I’m commanding you: Be sure to display generosity[h] to your poor and needy relatives in your land.”

Releasing Slaves

12 “When a fellow Hebrew male or female slave is sold to you and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you are to set them[i] free. 13 But when you set them free, don’t send them away empty-handed. 14 Provide for them liberally from your flock, threshing floor, and wine vat. As the Lord your God has blessed you, so give to them. 15 Don’t ever forget that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, yet the Lord your God redeemed you. Therefore, I’m giving you these commands today.

16 “If that slave[j] should say to you, ‘I won’t leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, and it was good for him to be with you, 17 then take an awl and pierce through his earlobe into the door. He then will be your slave forever. You are to do the same for your female slaves. 18 Don’t view this as a hardship for yourself when you set him free, for he will have served you for six years—twice the time of a paid worker. Then the Lord will bless you in all that you do.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 15:2 The Heb. lacks to repay it
  2. Deuteronomy 15:4 Lit. the Lord
  3. Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit. brothers
  4. Deuteronomy 15:7 Lit. brother
  5. Deuteronomy 15:9 Lit. and your eyes are evil
  6. Deuteronomy 15:9 Lit. brother
  7. Deuteronomy 15:10 Lit. for giving to him
  8. Deuteronomy 15:11 Lit. to open your hand
  9. Deuteronomy 15:12 Lit. him; and so throughout the chapter
  10. Deuteronomy 15:16 Lit. he

15 “At the end of seven years you shall grant a remission of debt. And this is the manner of the remission of debt: every creditor[a] shall remit his claim that he holds against his neighbor, and he shall not exact payment from his brother because there[b] a remission of debt has been proclaimed unto[c] Yahweh. With respect to the foreigner you may exact payment, but you must remit[d] what shall be owed to you with respect to your brother. Nevertheless, there[e] shall not be among you a poor person, because Yahweh will certainly bless you in the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you as an inheritance, to take possession of it. If only you listen well to the voice of Yahweh your God by observing diligently[f] all of these commandments[g] that I am commanding you today.[h] When Yahweh your God has blessed you, just as he promised[i] to you, then you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow from them, and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. If there is a poor person among you from among one of your brothers in one of your towns[j] that Yahweh your God is giving to you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not shut your hand toward your brother who is poor.[k] But you shall certainly open your hand for him, and you shall willingly lend[l] to him enough to meet his need, whatever it is.[m] Take care[n] so that there[o] will not be a thought of wickedness[p] in your heart, saying,[q] ‘The seventh year, the year of the remission of debt is near,’ and you view your needy neighbor with hostility,[r] and so you do not give to him, and he might cry out against you to Yahweh, and you would incur guilt against yourself.[s] 10 By all means you must give to him, and you must not be discontented[t] at your giving to him, because on account of this very thing, Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.[u] 11 For the poor[v] will not cease to be among you[w] in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying,[x] ‘You shall willingly open your hand to your brother, to your needy and to your poor that are in your land.’

12 If your relative[y] who is a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman is sold to you, and he or she has served you six years, then in the seventh year you shall send that person out free.[z] 13 And when you send him out free from you, you shall not send him away empty-handed. 14 You shall generously supply him from among your flocks and from your threshing floor and from your press; according to that with which Yahweh your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you thus today.[aa] 16 And then if it will happen that he says to you, ‘I do not want to go out[ab] from you,’ because he loves you and your family, because it is good for him to be with you; 17 then you shall take an awl, and you shall thrust it through his earlobe and into the door, and he shall be to you a slave forever;[ac] and you shall also do likewise for your slave woman. 18 It shall not be hard in your eyes when you send him forth free,[ad] because for six years he has served you worth twice the wage of a hired worker; and Yahweh your God will bless you in whatever you will do.[ae]

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 15:2 Literally “owner of the loan of his hand”
  2. Deuteronomy 15:2 Hebrew “it”
  3. Deuteronomy 15:2 Hebrew “for”
  4. Deuteronomy 15:3 Literally “your hand shall remit”
  5. Deuteronomy 15:4 Hebrew “it”
  6. Deuteronomy 15:5 Literally “to observe so as to do”
  7. Deuteronomy 15:5 Hebrew “commandment”
  8. Deuteronomy 15:5 Literally “the day”
  9. Deuteronomy 15:6 Literally “spoke”
  10. Deuteronomy 15:7 Literally “gates”
  11. Deuteronomy 15:7 Literally “from among your brothers, the poor one”
  12. Deuteronomy 15:8 Literally “lending you shall lend”
  13. Deuteronomy 15:8 Literally “whatever is lacking for him”
  14. Deuteronomy 15:9 Literally “Watch for yourself”
  15. Deuteronomy 15:9 Hebrew “it”
  16. Deuteronomy 15:9 Literally “a thing in your heart wickedness”
  17. Deuteronomy 15:9 Literally “to say”
  18. Deuteronomy 15:9 Literally “is bad your eye against your brother who is needy”
  19. Deuteronomy 15:9 Literally “it will be against you a sin”
  20. Deuteronomy 15:10 Literally “and not shall be bad/evil your heart at/when”
  21. Deuteronomy 15:10 Literally “in all of the sending/putting forth of your hand”
  22. Deuteronomy 15:11 Or “the needy person”
  23. Deuteronomy 15:11 Literally “from the midst of “
  24. Deuteronomy 15:11 Literally “to say”
  25. Deuteronomy 15:12 Or “brother”
  26. Deuteronomy 15:12 Literally “free from with you”
  27. Deuteronomy 15:15 Literally “the day”
  28. Deuteronomy 15:16 Literally “I will not go out”
  29. Deuteronomy 15:17 Literally “a slave of eternity”
  30. Deuteronomy 15:18 Literally “in/at you to send him forth free from being with you”
  31. Deuteronomy 15:18 Literally “in all of that you will do”