Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close LSB

Deuteronomy 15:1-18
Legacy Standard Bible

Remission of Debt Every Seven Years

15 “(A)At the end of every seven years you shall [a]grant a remission of debts. 2 And this is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother because the remission from Yahweh has been proclaimed. 3 (B)From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. 4 However, there will be no needy one among you, since (C)Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to be careful to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today. 6 (D)For Yahweh your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 “If there is (E)a needy one among you, one of your brothers, in any of your gates of the towns in your land which Yahweh your God is giving you, (F)you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand from your needy brother; 8 but (G)you shall freely open your hand to him and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. 9 Beware lest there be a vile [b]thought in your heart, saying, ‘(H)The seventh year, the year of the remission of debts, is near,’ and (I)your eye is hostile toward your needy brother, and you give him nothing; then he (J)may cry to Yahweh against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because (K)for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you send forth your hand to do. 11 (L)For the needy will never cease to be [c]in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your afflicted and needy in your land.’

12 “(M)If your brother, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall [d]let him go to be free from you. 13 When you [e]let him go to be free from you, you shall not [f]let him go empty-handed. 14 You shall furnish him generously from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as Yahweh your God has blessed you. 15 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you [g]this today. 16 And it will be that, (N)if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; 17 then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.

18 “It shall not seem hard in your sight when you [h]let him go to be free from you, for he has given you six years with [i]double the service of a hired man; so Yahweh your God will bless you in whatever you do.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 15:1 Lit make a release
  2. Deuteronomy 15:9 Lit word
  3. Deuteronomy 15:11 Lit in the midst of
  4. Deuteronomy 15:12 Lit send him out
  5. Deuteronomy 15:13 Lit send him out
  6. Deuteronomy 15:13 Lit send him out
  7. Deuteronomy 15:15 Lit this thing
  8. Deuteronomy 15:18 Lit send him out
  9. Deuteronomy 15:18 Lit double the amount
Close ISV

Deuteronomy 15:1-18
International Standard Version

The Lord’s Remission

15 “You must cancel your debts at the end of every seventh year. 2 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. 3 You may exact payment from a foreigner, but cancel whatever your brother owes you. 4 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. 5 Only be certain to obey the voice of the Lord your God. Carefully observe all of these commands that I’m commanding you today, 6 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

7 “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] 8 Instead, be sure to open your hand to him and lend him enough to lessen his need. 9 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.”

Read full chapter

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
Next
Deuteronomy 14
Deuteronomy 16
Next
dropdown
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.

International Standard Version (ISV)

Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.

ISV Bible